Burnout in Infection Control Practitioners During Extended Public Health Crisis Events: A Mixed Methods Systematic Review Protocol.

BACKGROUND: Infection prevention and control work environments are complex in nature and have long been associated with extended public health crisis events; major global outbreaks, including epidemics, and pandemics. The role of infection control practitioners shifted exponentially during the COVID-19 pandemic and with this rapid change came anxiety, emotional exhaustion and burnout. Burnout at work generally occurs in response to chronic and prolonged exposure to emotionally challenging events, causing emotional exhaustion, feelings of cynicism, and lack of accomplishment at work. This systematic review aims to investigate burnout in infection control practitioners during extended public health crisis events in upper middle and high income countries globally.

METHODS: A mixed-methods systematic review will be carried out and will include qualitative, quantitative and primary mixed-methods studies that investigate the elements of burnout and associated factors such as individual factors and organisational challenges, during extended public health crisis events. After an initial scoping literature search, up to six databases will be searched for studies on burnout in relation to infection prevention practitioners. Study quality will be checked using standardised Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools. The proposed review will follow the Joanna Briggs Institute convergent integrated approach for mixed methods systematic reviews. Following data extraction, quantitative data will be converted into 'qualitized data' in the form of textual descriptions.

DISCUSSION: It is well documented that adverse conditions during extended public health crisis events can lead to burnout. This systematic review will investigate burnout in infection control practitioners in upper-middle and high-income countries during public health crisis events. The findings will inform healthcare professionals, senior policy makers and researchers contributing to a richer understanding of burnout and associated factors in infection control practitioners with the aim of informing implementation of support structures in practice.Protocol Registration Number: PROSPERO 2024 CRD42024508996.