Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Availability

Open Access Dissertation

Keywords

Burn out (Psychology); Camps--Employees--Health and hygiene;

Abstract

Early pioneers of burnout defined it as “to fail, wear out, or become exhausted by making excessive demands on energy, strength, or resources'' (Freudenberger, 1974, p. 159; Freudenberger, 1977; Schaufeli & Enzmann, 1998). The traditional structures and activities of summer camps play a large role in creating experiences for staff and campers alike, but can lead to full-time staff working long hours with little time off and a culture of being overworked as a symbol of dedication to the program. While burnout research has become more popular over the past few decades, little is known about how burnout is experienced by residential summer camp staff. The purpose of this study was to better understand the lived experiences of full-time residential camp staff and the burnout they face. This study explored burnout experiences using a qualitative research approach. Data was collected through purposeful sampling and interviews of full-time camp professionals and themes were drawn through a thematic approach.

The data collected for this study sheds light on the experiences of residential full-time staff camp burnout. Protective factors included, but were not limited to: work flexibility during the offseason, intrinsic values, and feeling their salaries were enough to live on for now. Major risk factors identified included COVID-19 experiences, staffing challenges, workload, work/life relationship, and inability to truly disconnect from the job. Staff described their current well-being as being stressed, exhausted, overwhelmed, and increasingly challenging. These challenges have led staff to experience an array of negative physical, emotional, and social characteristics associated with their burnout. Results were mixed, with participants viewing their burnout as both a systemic and internalized failing and responsibility.

Year of Submission

2023

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Department

Department of Educational Psychology, Foundations, and Leadership Studies

First Advisor

Oksana Grybovych Hafermann, Chair

Date Original

7-2023

Object Description

1 PDF file (xii, 142 pages)

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

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