What Is the Maslach vs. Oldenburg Burnout Inventory? FAQ

With more than one-third of nurses leaving their jobs due to burnout, facilities are looking for ways to better understand this common work-related phenomenon. The Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OBI) and Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) are popular research tools that can provide insight into how burnout may be impacting staff across a facility — and even nationwide.

While the OBI and MBI are primarily used for research studies, understanding their methodologies can help clarify the concept of burnout and inform ways to address it among your own staff. This overview will provide an introduction on how these tools are used and what facilities might be able to learn from them.

Why Measure Burnout?

While nurses devote their careers to caring for patients, a lack of institutional support can leave them ill-equipped to care for themselves. This can lead to what’s known as burnout — a common type of chronic, work-related distress. When left unaddressed, burnout can significantly contribute to job dissatisfaction and lead to high rates of turnover.

This is why it’s important for facilities to actively work to understand the concept of burnout and help prevent it among their staff. When done with the right intent, measuring burnout can give facilities greater insight on:

1. Whether staff are experiencing high or low levels of burnout.
2. What work-related factors might be contributing to burnout.
3. What consequences may be resulting from burnout.

What Are Burnout Inventories Used For?

Both the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OBI) and Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) are research tools designed for discovery, not diagnosis. Used alone, these tools can’t definitively determine whether staff are “burned out.” Rather, these tools provide insight into whether staff may be on a path to burnout. When coupled with other measurement tools, the MBI and OBI can also help clarify which factors might be contributing to higher or lower burnout scores.

What Is the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory?

The OBI (full tool linked here) is a 16-item self-report measure that assesses the severity of burnout related to work. This tool has two subscales measuring separate components of burnout:

• Exhaustion: A consequence of intensive physical, affective, and cognitive strain
• Disengagement: Distancing oneself and developing negative feelings toward work

There are eight items on the exhaustion subscale and eight items on the disengagement subscale. All 16 items on the OBI ask individuals to rate their agreement with various statements related to work and burnout using the following scale:

• Strongly agree (1)
• Agree (2)
• Disagree (3)
• Strongly disagree (4)

Oldenburg Burnout Inventory Scoring

Total scores are calculated by adding up the rating of each item. However, eight items on the inventory are marked down to be reverse-scored. This means that lower scores actually indicate higher burnout, so the point values on these items should be reversed. We’ll look at a more specific example of this later on.

Each subscale should first be added up to score levels of exhaustion and disengagement separately. The scores for both subscales range from 8 to 32. To get a total OBI score, the subscale scores can then be added together — providing a potential total score between 16 to 64. Higher total scores indicate higher levels of burnout.

Example Items

To get an example of how the items are scored in practice, let’s take a look at a few example items from the OBI below.

Example Item 1:

I always find new and interesting aspects in my work (D).

• Strongly agree (1)
• Agree (2)
• Disagree (3)
• Strongly disagree (4)

For the item above, you’ll notice a “D” marked at the end of the statement. This means that this question is part of the disengagement subscale. If the respondent disagrees with this statement, that would provide a point value of three, which would be added to the total disengagement subscale score.

Example Item 2:

After work, I tend to need more time than in the past in order to relax and feel better (E.R).

• Strongly agree (1)
• Agree (2)
• Disagree (3)
• Strongly disagree (4)

For the item above, you can see an “E.R.” marked at the end of the statement. This means that this question is related to the exhaustion subscale and answers should be reverse-scored. If the respondent strongly agrees with this statement, this means that the original point value of one would actually add four to the total score.

Oldenburg Burnout Inventory Score Interpretation

The creators of the OBI suggest that burnout is only present if a person is experiencing high levels of both disengagement and exhaustion from their jobs. However, the OBI is not meant to diagnose disengagement, exhaustion, or burnout. Instead, the tool is best used to track how burned out an individual feels over time using their past scores as a point of reference.

What Is the Maslach Burnout Inventory?

The MBI (full tool linked here) is the most commonly used self-report tool that measures an individual’s risk of burnout. The MBI measures three different components of burnout:

• Emotional exhaustion: Feelings of being emotionally overextended by one’s work
• Depersonalization: Impersonal response or lack of feelings toward one’s work
• Personal achievement: Feelings of successful achievement in one’s work

All three components are measured and scored using separate subscales. Each subscale contains various items describing feelings about work and burnout. Respondents rate how frequently they experience these feelings using the following responses:

• Never (0)
• A few times per year (1)
• Once a month (2)
• A few times per month (3)
• Once a week (4)
• A few times per week (5)
• Every day (6)

Maslach Burnout Inventory Scoring

The scores for each subscale are calculated by adding up the rating of each item. Unlike the OBI, the MBI subscale scores should not be added together as a collective total. Each subscale score should instead be evaluated alongside one another.

There are many different adaptations of the MBI assessment, so the number of items on each subscale can vary. Generally, though, higher scores on exhaustion and depersonalization coupled with a lower score on personal achievement can indicate an increased risk of burnout.

Example Items

To get an idea of how MBI items are scored in practice, let’s take a look at three items from the emotional exhaustion subscale below.

1. I feel emotionally drained by my work.
2. Working with people all day long requires a great deal of effort.
3. I feel like my work is breaking me down.

Remember, all items are rated using a scale ranging from never (0) to every day (6). If an individual were to mark down that they experience all of these feelings every day, the above items would be added up accordingly (6 + 6 + 6) — contributing 18 points to the total subscale score for emotional exhaustion.

Maslach Burnout Inventory Score Interpretation

The MBI was created for research, and scores are primarily used to examine what personal or job-related factors are tied to each of the three components of burnout. Similar to the OBI, scores do not diagnose burnout or any of its three components. Rather, they provide a more general idea of a staff member’s risk of burnout and what may be contributing to, or resulting from, that risk.

What Are the Pros and Cons of the Maslach vs. Oldenburg Burnout Inventory?

When used appropriately, both the MBI and OBI can provide insight into how job-related distress may be impacting staff. But, as with any measurement tool, each one also has its unique advantages and disadvantages. The table below outlines the more specific pros and cons of each instrument.

Learn More Ways to Prevent Burnout at Your Facility

Understanding the Maslach and Oldenburg Burnout Inventory tools can help provide insight into your staff’s well-being. Looking for more ways to support your staff? IntelyCare is here to help. Our nursing experts can give you the free workplace insights that you need to help your healthcare team thrive.