Assessing Burnout Among Obstetrics & Gynecology Residents During Night Float Versus Day Float in a Large Academic Hospital

Background: The prevalence estimates of burnout among residents vary widely. Residents experiencing symptoms of burnout are at an increased risk of delivering suboptimal patient care and contributing to an increase in medical errors. Objective To determine the differences in burnout among residents working night rotations versus day rotations. Methods All residents in a large OB/GYN residency program were asked to complete the Maslach Burnout Inventory after the first rotation of the academic year in 2018, 2019, and 2020. The scores for each of the three aspects of the Maslach Burnout Inventory: burnout, depersonalization, and personal achievement, were then separated into night and day rotations. Results A total of 76 responses were received, 13 from residents on night rotations and 63 from residents on day rotations with a response rate of 61.8%. Comparing resident responses for a night versus day rotation, the residents averaged a low level of burnout (a score of 17) on day shift, compared to a moderate level of burnout (a score of 18) on nights. Conclusions Residents averaged a low level of burnout and moderate level of personal achievement on day shift, compared to a moderate level of burnout on nights and a low level of personal achievement on nights. Although there was no difference in depersonalization when comparing the day and night shift, 45% of the responses indicated high levels of depersonalization regardless of the type of shift. These results highlight the need to continue efforts to minimize burnout in medical training.