Death as a Professional Challenge: An Analysis of the Relationship Between Exposure to Patient Death, Occupational Burnout, and Perceptions of Death Among Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinicians

Introduction: Healthcare professionals face high stress, with patient death being a key factor in burnout, especially in OB/GYN, where it contrasts with expectations of life and birth. Objective: To examine how exposure to death, perceptions of death, and emotion regulation training relate to burnout and professional fulfillment. Methods: Cross-sectional study with 138 OB/GYN clinicians using an author-developed questionnaire. Findings: Burnout correlated strongly with death impact, while fulfillment correlated with development and positive death perception. Unexpectedly, burnout and fulfillment were positively related. Training showed no significant effects. Conclusions: Fulfillment may buffer death exposure despite complex dynamics.