Almost 60% of nephrologists are currently very happy, or somewhat happy, outside of work, compared with 78% prior to the pandemic, indicating the latter has taken its toll.
The percentage of physicians who reported being burned out in 2022 is not much higher than reported in 2021 — rising to 47% this year from 42% last year — with nephrologists, at 40%, being pretty much in the middle of the pack, the new Medscape Nephrologist Lifestyle, Happiness & Burnout Report 2022 indicates.
The report is based on an online survey to which over 13,000 physicians across 29 specialties responded. Overall, 38% of respondents were women and the largest proportion of respondents were between 55 and 64 years of age. The report was published online February 18, 2022.
“The lingering effects of a global pandemic continue to take a toll on the nations’ physicians and nephrologists are no exception,” say report authors Sylvie Baggett and Keith Martin.
In fact, half of those surveyed reported being more burned out now than they were during the initial months of the pandemic, although the remainder said their burnout level was about the same.
Volume of bureaucratic tasks was cited as the main contributor to nephrologists’ burnout, identified as the main driver by two thirds of respondents.
Spending too many hours at work, along with lack of respect from administrators, employers, and colleagues, were also cited as key contributors to burnout.
Close to one third of nephrologists also acknowledged that their personality type probably contributed to their burnout — a figure similar to that cited by physicians overall.
Whatever the cause, 7 out of 10 nephrologists felt their experience with burnout affected their relationships. Among the strategies used to try and ease their distress, nephrologists tried to reduce the number of hours spent on the job, change the workflow or staffing to ease their workload, and engage in stress reduction techniques.
Many Would Take Pay Cut for a Better Work-Life Balance
Being married or living with a partner — as 85% of nephrologists indicated they are — seemed to help a lot, however, as 9 out of 10 nephrologists surveyed said they are in a good or very good marriage.
In fact, “no matter what the specialty, most physicians appear to be happy in their marriages or partnerships,” the report’s authors note. A good quarter of nephrologists indicated they were married to or partners with another physician, while about the same percentage said their partners work in healthcare.
Overall, 63% of nephrologists indicated they were happier with their work-life balance prior to the pandemic compared with now, at 51%, while almost one third indicated they were unhappy with their work-life balance.
In fact, 58% of nephrologists said they would be willing to take a pay cut for a better work-life balance or at least more free time.
The online survey was conducted from June 29 to September 26, 2021, and respondents had to practice in the United States.
Medscape Nephrologist Lifestyle, Happiness & Burnout Report 2022. Available here.
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