1 Asst. Prof. College of Health Science, Public Health Department, Saudi Electronic University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Email: N.alanazi@seu.edu.sa
2 Paramedic National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Email: Raaealqahtani@moh.gov.sa
3 Prof. Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, Sakarya University, Sakarya, Turkey. Email: asifhanif@sakarya.edu.tr
Corresponding Author: Asst. Prof. College of Health Science, Public Health Department, Saudi Electronic University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Received: 20th Feb, 2026 | Revised: 4th Mar, 2026 | Accepted: 25th Mar, 2026 | Available Online: 10th Apr, 2026
Background: Burnout in healthcare administrators might negatively influence leadership performance, morale in staff, and performance of the healthcare system. The practice of shift scheduling can contribute to burnout but there are no current national data on the aspect in Saudi Arabia. This paper has focused on exploring the relationship between the scheduling of shifts and burnout in the healthcare administrators in Saudi Arabia.
Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative design was used (30-6-2024 till 30-12-2024). Multistage stratified cluster sampling was used to recruit a nationwide sample of 384 healthcare administrators in hospitals, primary care clinics, and specialty clinics. Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) was used to measure burnout at the 22 items scale of the Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalization and Personal Accomplishment scale. The variables studied, such as shift variables, rotating shifts, fixed schedules, on-call, schedule flexibility, and satisfaction were evaluated using a researcher-constructed questionnaire. The descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, and hierarchical multiple linear regression with demographics (age, gender, and experience) were used to analyze the data.
Results: Mild burnout was reported by 44.8% of participants, moderate burnout by 29.9%, and severe burnout by 12.8%. Predictive scores of an increased emotional exhaustion (B=4.21, p=0.007) and depersonalization (B=3.12, p=0.018) were significantly predicted with rotating shifts. There was a higher level of emotional exhaustion related to on-call work (B=5.33, p<0.001). On the other hand, fixed schedules forecasted less emotional exhaustion (B=-3.08, p=0.011) and less depersonalization (B=-2.05, p=0.044), and flexible self-scheduling forecast less depersonalization (B=-2.94, p=0.015). These findings were supported through correlation analyses, which showed significant albeit weak associations between instability in shifts and increased levels of burnout.
Conclusion: Saudi Arabia has a high rate of burnout in healthcare administrators. The rotating and on-call schedules seem to increase the risk of burnout, but the fixed and flexible schedules seem to be protective factors. Well-being of administrators can be enhanced through organizational interventions that encourage schedule stability and autonomy and improve burnout and well-being.
Keywords: Burnout; Healthcare Administrators; Maslach Burnout Inventory; Saudi Arabia; Shift Scheduling.
How to cite this article: Alanazi NH, Alshehri AAA, Hanif A. An Assessment of Shift Scheduling Strategies and Their Relationship to Burnout Among Healthcare Administrators in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study. Int J Drug Deliv Technol. 2026;16(17s):554-561. DOI: 10.25258/ijddt.16.17s.65
Source of support: Nil.
Conflict of interest: The author declares no conflict of interest, and this work represents independent academic research conducted in a personal capacity, not associated with any employer or commercial entity.