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A new angle on surgical resident wellness: exploring the correlation between emotional exhaustion, stress and performance-avoid goal orientation learning behaviors

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Global Surgical Education - Journal of the Association for Surgical Education Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Intro

An individual’s intrinsic learning motivation tendencies are a potentially modifiable factor. One of the three domains of goal orientation (GO) motivation is performance avoid (PAV), or a sense of achievement based on avoiding a negative outcome. PAV has been associated with burnout in non-medical populations. The aim of this study was to determine correlations between perceived stress and aspects of burnout with domains of GO.

Methods

A multi-institutional cross-sectional study of general surgery trainees at five training programs was performed. Residents completed a questionnaire consisting of the Goal Orientation in Surgical Trainees (GO-ST) scale, the abbreviated Maslach burnout inventory (aMaslach) and the Perceived Stress scale (PSS). GO-ST is a ten-item instrument which measures frequency of feelings over the past month on a 5-point Likert scale. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated between each domain of the GO-ST (Mastery, Performance Approach and PAV, the PSS and aMaslach scales, as well as between the GO-ST domain and individual PSS and aMaslach questions.

Results

There were a total of 144 respondents (response rate 87.8%). The mean age of participants was 30.3 (SD 2.9) years. The mean frequency of PAV feelings was 3.5 (SD 0.83; slightly more than weekly), mastery was 3.4 (SD 0.75) and approach 3.6 (SD 0.80). Higher PAV scale scores were positively correlated with stress (0. 49, 95% CI 0.36, 0.61) and emotional exhaustion (0.40, 95% CI 0.24, 0.53). Performance Approach (PAP) was slightly more weakly correlated with stress (0.38, 95% CI 0.22, 0.52). The Mastery domain was correlated with a sense of accomplishment (0.46, 95% CI 0.32, 0.59).

Conclusions

In a large cohort of general surgery residents, performance-avoid motivational behavior is correlated with emotional exhaustion and stress, while mastery is correlated with personal accomplishment. Avoid-type feelings are as pervasive as mastery feelings. Residents and programs may benefit from this new approach to understanding elements of burnout, as goal orientation represents a potentially modifiable aspect of an individual’s achievement thought processes and measure of the learning environment.

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Data availability

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Geisinger Medical Center, 100 N. Academy Ave, Danville, PA, 17822, USA

    Ayobami Fatunmbi, Katelyn Young & Rebecca L. Hoffman

  2. The Ohio State University, 395 W 12th Ave #670, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA

    Ingrid Woelfel

  3. University of Pennsylvania, Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Cary Aarons

  4. University of Kansas, 4000 Cambridge St, Mailstop 2005, Kansas City, KS, 66160, USA

    Christa Balanoff

  5. Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center, 100 E. Mountain Drive, Wilkes-Barre, PA, 18711, USA

    Bogdan Protyniak

  6. Bir Hospital, National Academy of Medical Sciences, Mahaboudha, Kathmandu, 13606, Nepal

    Anip Joshi

  7. Office of Medical Education and Research Development, Michigan State University, 220 Trowbridge Rd, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA

    Rebecca Henry

Authors
  1. Ayobami Fatunmbi
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Correspondence to Ayobami Fatunmbi.

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The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare that are relevant to the content of this article.

Additional information

Meeting Presentation: This work was selected for a podium presentation at Surgical Education Week, Association for Surgical Education, 2022.

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Fatunmbi, A., Woelfel, I., Young, K. et al. A new angle on surgical resident wellness: exploring the correlation between emotional exhaustion, stress and performance-avoid goal orientation learning behaviors. Global Surg Educ 2, 5 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44186-022-00083-4

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