The COVID-19 pandemic changed many parts of life virtually overnight, including shutting down schools and shifting many jobs to work-from-home status. This shift exacerbated childcare challenges in the United States for many parents, and for healthcare workers, the impact was also significant.
That’s according to researchers who surveyed the impact of childcare stress among healthcare staff and clinicians, revealing that childcare stress has led to higher rates of burnout and intention to reduce clinical hours. The findings come as the healthcare industry is already facing a huge strain on resources, workforce shortages and rising rates of burnout over the past several years. The study was published in JAMA Network.
Prior to the pandemic, full-time childcare for one infact cost a mean of nearly $22,000 per years in the U.S., greater than one-quarter of the average hospital nursing assistant salary, researchers noted. Healthcare workers also have to often find childcare outside of normal hours, such as overnight or on weekends, while only 8% of center-based care provides such nonstandard coverage.
Researchers surveyed clinicians and staff in healthcare organizations with more than 100 physicians to determine if high childcare stress leads to greater intent to leave the job and reduce clinical hours. Researchers surveyed more than 58,000 respondents at 208 healthcare organizations.
High childcare stress was reported by 21% of all workers, though it was more frequently noted among racial and ethnic minority groups compared to white individuals, as well as among women compared to men. High childcare stress (CCS) was also higher among those with six to 15 years of practice compared to those with one to five years.
“Racial and ethnic minority individuals had 40% to 50% greater odds of reporting CCS than White respondents and women had 22% greater odds of reporting CCS than men,” wrote first author Elizabeth M. Harry, MD, of the University of Colorado School of Medicine and UC Health, et al. … “It is important to recognize the vulnerability of these populations to CCS, particularly given the association between CCS and other concerning features such as burnout, anxiety and depression, and ITL or ITR.”
Overall, all populations experiencing CCS had higher rates of burnout, and the impact on minoritized groups means it is more likely these groups will probably experience reduced participation in the workforce. Workers experiencing high CCS had 80% to 90% greater odds of experiencing burnout than workers reporting low CCS.
“Thus, reasons for CCS in racial and ethnic minority groups should be addressed by health care organizations and explored in future scholarly studies,” Harry et al. wrote.
There were other important practical and financial implications of CCS in the study, including the increased risk of self-reported medical error to turnover and other costs associated with burnout. Occupational stress (burnout) and mental health are huge national concerns, and physician turnover and reduced clinical effort due to burnout are estimated to cost $4.6 billion annually, with nursing burnout–related turnover adding $14 billion annually, researchers noted.
To address the issue, researchers proposed an intentional approach in the healthcare workplace to assess and address childcare concerns when worker assignments are made. Solutions such as accommodation on short notice, on-site care for ill children or on-site schools and awareness of workers’ childrens’ needs would make a big difference and mitigate the issue.
Amy joined TriMed Media as a Senior Writer for HealthExec after covering home care for three years. When not writing about all things healthcare, she fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate by sailing in regattas and enjoying rum. Fun fact: she sailed 333 miles across Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club "Race to Mackinac."