DETERMINATION OF FEARS OF BURNOUT AND COVID EMPLOYEE IN PRIMARY HEALTH SERVICES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PANDEMIC

Aim: This study aimed to assess healthcare workers' burnout levels and fear of COVID, along with the associated factors. Method: This descriptive and cross-sectional study focuses on all healthcare workers employed in primary healthcare services within a province in Central Anatolia. Instead of using a sampling method, the study included primary healthcare workers who agreed to participate (n=500).In the study, data were collected from healthcare professionals using a sociodemographic questionnaire, COVID-19 Fear Scale and Maslach Burnout Inventory. Before the research began, study Ethics Committee approval was obtained from the Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli University Non-invasive Research Ethics Committee (Approval No. 2021.07.214). Data were analyzed using one-way MANOVA, Duncan's test, and Pearson correlation. Results: The study revealed that healthcare workers who had contracted COVID reported higher scores in the depersonalization burnout sub-dimension. Emotional burnout scores were significantly higher among those who experienced exclusionary behaviors from their immediate circle or neighbors, while personal achievement burnout scores were lower among those with lower income levels (p<0.05). Conclusions and Suggestions: Fear of COVID was found to be significantly higher among female healthcare workers and those working at Family Health Centers. Increased exposure to written or spoken news about COVID was associated with heightened fear of the disease, which, in turn, correlated with higher occupational burnout scores. Interventions should be implemented to reduce occupational burnout among healthcare workers during the pandemic.