Job burnout in a sample of Polish paramedics – role of work experience, age and health behaviours

Introduction and Objective. Job burnout is a phenomenon that results from unmanaged chronic workplace stress, which is directly related to the stressful nature or workplace, as well as experiencing chronic emotional strain and is characterized by high emotional exhaustion and depersonalization and low professional efficacy. Emergency Medical Teams are just such a workplace. Paramedics functioning in a state of prolonged, permanent stress begin to lose motivation to continue their work with their previous commitment. The purpose of this study is to answer the question of whether the paramedics surveyed feel professionally burned out, and how stress affects the performance of professional activities and health behaviour. Materials and Method. The study was conducted from May 2019 to September 2019 among 238 (223 males and 15 females) paramedics of the outgoing Emergency Medical Service from the Mazovian province. The study used standardized tools in the form of questionnaires: Link Burnout Questionnaire – LBQ and Health Behavior Inventory Questionnaire – IZZ. Results. The study showed high levels of psychophysical exhaustion in our sample of paramedics. Conclusions. The problem of professional burnout among paramedics requires wider recognition as well as the development of preventive measures to minimize its negative effects. It is necessary to consider the education of paramedics on the subject in question, as well as extending increased psychological support to this professional group.