Burnout: Interpreting the Perception of Iranian Primary Rural Health Care Providers from Working and Organizational Conditions

Objectives: health care providers in the rural centers offer the primaryhealth services in the form of proficiencies and professions to themost required target population in the health system. these services areprovided in certain condition and population with a verity of limitations.this study aimed to describe and interpret the experiences of theemployees from their own working condition in the rural health centers.methods: the present study conducted in a qualitative research approachand content analysis method through individual and groupinterviews with 26 employed primary health care providers (including 7family physicians, 7 midwives, and 12 health workers) in the ruralhealth centers in isfahan in 2009. sampling was done using purposivesampling method. the data were analyzed using qualitative contentanalysis as constant comparative basis.results: during the content analysis process, six themes were obtained;instability and frequent changes, involved in laws and regulations,pressure and stress due to unbalanced workload and manpower,helplessness in performing the tasks and duties, sense of identitythreat and low self-concept, and deprivation of professional development.the mentioned themes indicate a main and more importanttheme called burnout.conclusions: health services providers in the rural health centers areworking in stressful and challenging work conditions and are sufferedfrom deprivation of something for which are responsible to the community.