Putting Patients at Risk: The Effect of Health Care Provider Burnout on Patient Care in the Operating Room. A Narrative Review.

Objectives: This review aimed to explore the prevalence of burnout among health care professionals working in the operating room (OR) and its impact on patient safety and care quality.

Methods: A focused narrative review was conducted, utilizing PubMed, CINAHL, Semantic Scholar, WorldCat, Cochrane Library, and clinical trials registries. Full-text primary literature published in English between 2018 and 2024 was included. Studies specifically addressing burnout in the OR and its effects on patient safety and care quality were selected. Data extraction included prevalence rates, stress factors, and impacts on patient outcomes.

Results: Burnout was found to be highly prevalent among OR health care professionals, particularly affecting surgeons, anesthesiologists, and OR nurses. Reported prevalence rates ranged from 10% to 83%, with the highest levels occurring during the COVID-19 pandemic. Burnout was linked to critical aspects of health care quality and safety, primarily through communication breakdowns and operational inefficiencies. Impaired communication contributed to safety incidents, while disruptions in OR scheduling and increased turnover times further exacerbated workflow challenges. Although studies directly connecting burnout to patient safety events were limited, burnout was consistently associated with poor decision-making, weakened teamwork, and higher staff turnover-factors that collectively undermine patient outcomes.

Conclusions: Burnout among OR health care professionals poses a significant threat to both staff well-being and patient safety, a challenge that was further intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic. Addressing burnout requires a multifaceted approach, including enhanced training, workload optimization, and robust support systems. Implementing comprehensive, context-specific interventions can improve staff resilience and patient safety.