BURNOUT AMONG RESIDENTS OF GENERAL SURGERY: WORK-LIFE BALANCE, SOCIAL SUPPORT, AND BURNOUT AMONG RESIDENTS OF GENERAL SURGERY

Abstract

Purpose: Postgraduate medical students or residents are candidates who gain rigorous specialized training in any field of medical science. The study attempted to explain how work-life fit and perceived social support minimize burnout in public hospital general surgery units. Method: Explanatory, cross-sectional, and quantitative research methods were employed. A questionnaire was administered to 120 respondents using purposive sampling. Besides reliability and validity testing, inferential statistics were used to evaluate data and test hypotheses. Principal Findings: Work-life fit and perceived social supports affect emotional tiredness in responders. However, perceived social support and emotional weariness outweigh work-family balance and emotional exhaustion. Burnout is predicted by the number of children, gender, work-life balance, work-life interference, and personal life interference. Implications: The current study helps us understand the process that affects the professional efficacy of medical professionals. Despite their high cognitive capacity, they were victims of depersonalization, emotional tiredness, and burnout. Therefore, it is crucial to successfully address surgeon burnout to enhance patient care. Novelty: The study has novel findings for exploring the link between work-life balance, social support, and burnout in the cultural settings of Pakistan. It was not comprehensively investigated in our traditional healthcare system which is lacking in internal and external rewards therefore a complete investigation of the matter is required. Thus, these findings will enrich scientific understanding to further study these topics.