A higher proportion of female nurses among intensive care unit (ICU) teams may decrease the risk of professional burnout, according to a new study.

Researchers at the University Hospital of Geneva (HUG, Switzerland) used a self-administered questionnaire that captured demographic data, personal characteristics, and subjective stress to evaluate the risk of burnout among different individual in different settings. Out of 4,322 questionnaires distributed from March 2006 to April 2007, 3,052 (71%) were returned, with a response rate of 72% by center, 69% from nurse-assistants, 73% from nurses, and 69% from physicians. In addition to individual characteristics, they also analyzed center-level factors, such as the proportion of female caregivers among nurses and physicians, and patient-related factors.

The results showed that a higher proportion of female nurses’ reduced overall risk of burnout; and of all the professions examined, nurse-assistants were at highest risk for burnout. Also, among women caregivers, those who were young, single, and without children were at the highest risk for burnout. Interestingly, while female caregivers were more likely to say that they experienced stress, they were also more resistant to burnout than their male colleagues were. The study was published ahead of print on August 18, 2011, in the Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

“Avoiding and understanding burnout is especially important now, given the projected shortage of ICU caregivers, in addition to the intensity and costliness of training these specialized professionals,” said lead author Paolo Merlani, MD. “Our study could open a new frontier concerning burnout in ICUs, highlighting the importance of the team composition.”

Burnout is a psychological term for the experience of long-term exhaustion and diminished interest. Research indicates general practitioners (GPs) have the highest proportion of burnout cases; according to a recent study, no less than 40% of GPs experienced high levels of burnout. Many theories of burnout include negative outcomes related to stress, including job function, health related outcomes, such as increases in stress hormones, coronary heart disease (CAD), circulatory issues, and mental health problems such as depression.

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