Perspectives of residential aged care staff on the management of occupational burnout: A qualitative interview study

With a rising population of older adults, demand for residential aged care services has grown significantly. Older adults living in residential aged care are typically older and more highly dependent on care, than those living in the community. Staff working in such services experience high workloads and attend to residents with complex health care needs. Hence, burnout among such staff is highly prevalent. This qualitative study explored staff experiences of burnout, contributors to burnout and strategies to manage burnout within the residential aged care environment. Fifteen residential aged care staff were interviewed about their observations about the signs and effects of burnout, potential causes for burnout, and their opinions and methods for reducing burnout. A thematic framework approach was applied to the analysis. Text was coded as labels, sub-themes and finally themes. Three themes were identified: governance, physical and emotional exhaustion, and communication. These themes provided context for appreciating the experience of burnout, factors contributing to burnout and management of staff burnout. It is imperative to recognise and address strategies to manage staff's burnout levels through the lens of staff's perspectives.