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Perceived and Received Support by Academic Medicine Faculty During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Single Institution Study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 January 2024

Megan Ferriby Ferber Open the ORCID record for Megan Ferriby Ferber [Opens in a new window] ,
Tina Chen ,
Jane McHowat ,
Rachel L. Charney  and
Cindy C. Bitter
Megan Ferriby Ferber*
Affiliation:
Medical Family Therapy Program, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri
Tina Chen
Affiliation:
Department of Surgery, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri
Jane McHowat
Affiliation:
Department of Pathology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
Rachel L. Charney
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatrics, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO
Cindy C. Bitter
Affiliation:
Department of Surgery, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri
*
Corresponding author: Megan Ferriby Ferber; Email: megan.ferber@health.slu.edu.
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Abstract

Objective:

The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted healthcare worker well-being, leading to increased burnout and decreased workplace engagement. To combat expected stressors from the pandemic, our mid-sized academic health center implemented numerous institutional support, such as town halls, and virtual support groups. This study aimed to evaluate faculty utilization of institutional support, its association with perceived organizational support, received organizational support, and burnout.

Methods:

A retrospective, cross-sectional survey was distributed to 630 faculty employed at our institution in September 2020, assessing participant demographics, institutional support utilized, perceived organizational support, and burnout, through a combination of self-report measures and qualitative responses.

Results:

A total of 79 (12.5%) faculty provided complete responses and were included in the analysis. Qualitative analysis identified 4 primary themes: (1) flexibility and adjusted expectations, (2) direct communication, (3) sense of community, and (4) no support felt, with additional subthemes within each larger theme. Increased utilization of institutional support was associated with decreased odds of experiencing burnout.

Conclusion:

Flexibility, communication, and sense of community emerged as important strategies for maintaining faculty well-being and engagement during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study suggests that utilization of workplace support is protective against burnout. Perceived support was not beneficial.

Keywords

CommunicationDecision MakingOrganizationalHealth Promotion
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 18 , 2024 , e3
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc

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