Abstract
Objectives: To determine the prevalence of burnout amongst students in a four year
paramedic University degree programme and to assess whether there was any
significant difference in the prevalence of burnout between students in the
programme’s four academic years of study.
Design: Cross-sectional survey.
Method: All students enrolled in a four-year University paramedic degree programme
were invited to participate . The questionnaire consisted of 19 questions from the
Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI), combined with distractor questions. Responses
were analysed descriptively and One-way Analysis of Variance was used to compare
CBI scores across the four academic years of study.
Results: An 85% (n = 93) response rate was obtained. The overall prevalence of
burnout was 31%. Mean CBI scores across all academic years of study were highest
for personal burnout, followed by work-related burnout and patient care-related
burnout. The highest prevalence of students with burnout was in fourth year, as was
the highest prevalence of work-related and personal burnout. The second highest
prevalence of students with burnout was in first year as was the highest prevalence of
patient-care related burnout. No significant difference was found in CBI total burnout
scores across the four academic years of study.
Conclusion: Although there are no directly comparable data, the prevalence of
burnout in this group of students appears high, particularly in the first and final years
of study. Steps should be taken to ensure access to social and psychological support in
order to avoid a negative impact on academic success and student well-being.