“Occupational stressors, personal and work characteristics, and their association with burnout in midwives: Findings from a cross-sectional study in Victoria, Australia”

BACKGROUND: A high rate of attrition is a key contributor to the current midwifery workforce crisis. Burnout is linked to high attrition, and aspects of midwifery work and the midwifery profession contribute to high rates of burnout. AIM: To describe the prevalence of burnout and associated factors in a sample of midwives in Victoria, Australia. METHODS: An online, cross-sectional survey of midwives working in Victoria was conducted between March and October 2021. We explored burnout using the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI), which includes three domains: personal, work-related and client-related burnout. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression explored associations between each of the burnout domains and respondents' characteristics and occupational stressors. FINDINGS: A total of 1017/5185 (19.6%) midwives participated in the FUCHSIA survey. Seventy-two percent of midwives scored as having personal, 67% work-related and 19% client-related burnout. Across three domains, inadequate acknowledgement (personal AOR 2.57; 95% CI 1.72, 3.84, work AOR 2.35; 95% CI 1.56, 3.54 client AOR 1.80: 95% CI 1.06, 3.06), lack of job satisfaction (personal AOR 2.87; 95% CI 1.70, 4.85, work AOR 4.60; 95% CI 2.62, 8.08, client AOR 2.76; 95% CI 1.83, 4.17) and considering skill mix to be unsafe (personal AOR 2.57; 95% CI 1.69, 3.87, work AOR 2.53; 95% CI 1.63, 3.92, client AOR 1.77; 95% CI 1.00, 3.12) were associated with a higher level of burnout. Those who worked in large services, part-time or casually, who rotated through more than one area of maternity care, were unable to take adequate breaks, and needed more support were more likely to experience work-related burnout CONCLUSION: The prevalence of burnout in this sample of Victorian midwives was high, with at least two-thirds of the sample experiencing personal and work-related burnout. Strategies to address factors such as providing adequate acknowledgement, support, and job satisfaction and providing a safe and flexible work environment may be key to addressing burnout for midwives.