ETC 43 - Assessing Burnout, Resilience, Happiness, and Physical Activity Among Infection Preventionists: Insights from a Pilot Study to Drive Well-being Interventions

Background: Infection preventionists (IPs) experience increased workloads, stress, and burnout. Focus groups conducted by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) reported the need for initiatives to bolster IPs' well-being and resilience. This study sought to establish baseline measurements for burnout, resilience, happiness, and physical activity among IPs within an APIC chapter, with the goal of informing targeted interventions.

Methods: Using a descriptive survey design, 119 IPs attending APIC chapter education participated in a 53-item electronic survey, assessing burnout, resilience, happiness, and physical activity. The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) gauged emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP), and personal accomplishment (PA). The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) and Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS) assessed resilience and happiness, respectively. The Physical Activity Vital Sign (PAVS) gathered information on exercise frequency and duration.

Results: 20 IPs completed the questionnaire (17% response). The average age was 44, with 8 years of IP experience. The majority (90%) were white females who worked in hospitals (70%). Sixty percent were Certified in Infection Control, while 40% and 45% held bachelor's and master's degrees, respectively. The mean MBI-EE score was 32, indicating high burnout related to EE. The mean MBI-DP score was 11, and the mean MBI-PA score was 44, suggesting moderate burnout. The mean CD-RISC score of 76 indicates above-average resilience. The SHS mean score was 5.2, showing average happiness. The mean physical activity reported was 136 minutes per week.

Conclusions: The IPs in this study exhibited high burnout related to emotional exhaustion and moderate burnout related to depersonalization and personal accomplishment. However, they also demonstrated above-average resiliency and reported being relatively happy. Few IPs met the recommended 30 minutes of exercise per day. This study offers valuable insights for shaping future interventions aimed at reducing burnout, enhancing resiliency and happiness, and promoting overall wellness among IPs.