THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RECOGNITION, REWARDS AND BURNOUT IN AIDS CARING

The positive psychological and sociological dimensions of AIDS care pr ovision may produce important information to assist burnout prevention . While most studies on stress and burnout in AIDS health care have fo cused on the negative and difficult aspects of this work, few have con sidered the notion that the rewards of care-giving may buffer against stress or counterbalance experiences that may otherwise lead to burnou t. A study of HIV/AIDS volunteers examined the relationship between st ressors, rewards and burnout, using the HIV Volunteer Inventory and th e Maslach Burnout Inventory. Correlation data indicates that a lack of a sense of personal accomplishment is a contributor to frequency of b urnout. Over a fifth of the variance of burnout frequency can be accou nted for by both stress and reward factors. Qualitative interview data also support the importance of rewards. Rewards in the form of gratit ude from clients and recognition and support front management positive ly influenced the organizational climate. This study points to the nee d to find ways to increase the recognition and rewards experienced by carers. The potential benefits include reduced attrition and burnout a nd enhanced quality of life in the work setting.