Burnout among nurses working in social welfare centers for the disabled

Eleni Lahana,Konstantina Papadopoulou,Pavlos Sarafis,Andreas Tsounis,Dimitris Niakas,Olga Roumeliotou

doi:10.1186/s12912-017-0209-3

Abstract

BackgroundIn the healthcare sector, we often come across the burnout syndrome. It is an occupational syndrome which causes, physical and emotional exhaustion. More information is needed on the dangers of burnout and how often it occurs in healthcare. The purpose of this study was to investigate burnout and factors associated with the syndrome among nurses working with people that are mentally challenged.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted, among 180 nurses working in public health centers for the disabled in multiple regions of Greece. A self-administered questionnaire with questions about socio-demographic and work-related characteristics was used, as well as the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) for burnout assessment. Univariate and multivariate analyzes were performed.ResultsThe burnout dimensions of emotional exhaustion (Mean = 31.36) and depersonalization (Mean = 11.27) were at high levels while personal accomplishment was at low levels (Mean = 44.02). Female nurses had a higher personal accomplishment score (Mean = 44.82, p = 0.047) than men (Mean = 42.10, p = 0.047). Marital status, daily routine and relationships with supervisors were significantly related with emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment and professional experience with higher levels of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. Reason for professional selection was an independent predictor for depersonalization and personal accomplishment, with those that have selected the nursing profession randomly or because of the fear of unemployment having higher scores. Moderate relationships with colleagues was an independent predictor for all burnout dimensions.ConclusionsNurses working in services for people with intellectual disabilities in Greece show increased burnout levels. Burnout can be prevented by offering more opportunities for professional advancement and education, new ways to provide supervisor support, provide incentives for nurses to initiate or participate in innovative programs. Specific training on conflict resolution, collaboration, reinforcement and stress coping techniques must be implemented.

Highlights

In the healthcare sector, we often come across the burnout syndrome
This study revealed that burnout among nurses working in social welfare annexes for the disabled in Greece is relatively high
In particular Emotional Exhaustion (EE) and DP were high compared to the Greek cut-off scores for Maslach’s Burnout Inventory (MBI) [35], while Personal Accomplishment (PA) was in lower values

Summary

Introduction

We often come across the burnout syndrome. It is an occupational syndrome which causes, physical and emotional exhaustion. The purpose of this study was to investigate burnout and factors associated with the syndrome among nurses working with people that are mentally challenged. The term of burnout was introduced by Freudenberger in 1974, defining a condition of physical and mental energy depletion, as a response to ongoing exposure to occupational stress factors. It is a multidimensional construct that involves a number of parameters such as emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and lack of perceived personal accomplishment [2]. Lack of perceived Personal Accomplishment (PA), refers to a sense of low professional achievement and productivity, and represents the self-evaluation aspect of burnout [2]

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