Uitbranding en begeestering van kleinhandel aptekers in die Noordwes Provinsie

Abstract

The environment in which employees currently function demands more of them than did any previous period. Pharmacists have to cope with the demands that arise from fulfilling various roles, as well as with increased pressures such as managed health care and primary health care. Tracking and addressing workplace problems is of great importance because it could possibly have an impact on the standard of pharmacy services. Burnout and engagement of pharmacists are important topics of study in this regard. It is necessary to determine whether there is a relationship between burnout, engagement and work stress. If relationships between these three concepts could be found, it may have implications for pharmacists' recruitment, induction, selection, training, development and performance management. The objective of this research is to determine the relationship between burnout, engagement and work stress, as well as to identify the stressors pharmacist may experience together with their frequency and intensity. A cross-sectional survey design was used. The sample consisted of retail pharmacists (n = 72) in the North West Province. The Maslach Burnout Inventory, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale and the Job Stress Survey were used as measuring instruments. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data. Effect sizes were used to decide on the significance of the findings. According to the results the following correlations were found between Job stressors and Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalisation, Energy and Absorption. Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalisation and Personal Accomplishment can be associated with energy, dedication and absorption. Management stress was identified as the stressors with the highest frequency and intensity. Debtors not paying and stock taking are stressors that are relatively serious and frequent. Pharmacists not doing their work, the handling of crisis situations and difficult clients are stressors with a high intensity, thus these stressors can be perceived as serious.