Is burnout among anesthesiologists a humbug or a real entity?

Abstract

Nicholas is a member of your anesthesiology faculty. Over the last 2 months, he called out sick a few times. His passion for mountain skiing and spending time outdoors is well known to the department, but he has almost stopped talking about these activities over the past 6 months. He has stopped teaching residents, and there has been no further development with his research project. It was noted by several members of the operating room (OR) team that Nicholas has become overly argumentative with surgeons and nurses. He even expressed that he is dissatisfied with his career choice and that he is ‘considering quitting this once and for all and looking for a place in healthcare administration,’ complaining that sometimes he feels that his patients treat him like an impersonal object and only remember their surgeons.