Professional exhaustion syndrome or burn out

Abstract

Introduction: Professional exhaustion syndrome is an increasingly common condition among health care workers and medical students. The term burnout was first used by H. Freudenberger in 1974 to describe the symptoms of burnout and decreased performance manifested by trainees. Purpose: To study and inform on the potential causes of burnout (BO) in health professionals. Material and methods: In this paper we focused on researching works performed on the syndrome, focusing on the method of observation. Results: Burnout is a behavioral syndrome caused by prolonged exposure to stress, characteristic of healthcare professionals due to the physical and cognitive requirements to provide quality care. Susceptibility to burnout may be related to the level of education, field of specialization, work schedule and gender, with women having a higher predisposition. Medical students from years I-III are also prone to develop burn-out, common causes being high educational requirements, lack of rest, minimal social contact with family and friends, busy university program, night services, but also competition. Conclusions: 1. Burnout is a behavioral and occupational syndrome that affects healthcare professionals and medical students. 2. The widespread manifestation of burnout is a significant risk to the medical system, affecting the efficiency and quality of medical services. 3. Taking care of yourself and rest should be a priority to avoid burnout.