Vulnerability to burnout within the nursing workforce-The role of personality and interpersonal behaviour

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on pediatric healthcare burnout in acute care: a longitudinal study

BACKGROUND

COVID-19 pandemic introduced significant challenges that may have exacerbated healthcare worker (HCW) burnout. To date, assessments of burnout during COVID-19 pandemic have been cross-sectional, limiting our understanding of changes in burnout. This longitudinal study assessed change across time in pediatric HCW burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic and whether demographic and psychological factors were associated with changes in burnout.

METHODS

This longitudinal study included 162 physicians, physician assistants, nurses, and medical technicians within the emergency department (ED), intensive care, perioperative, and inter-hospital transport services in a children's hospital. HCW demographics, anxiety and personality traits were reported via validated measures. HCWs completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory in April 2020 and March 2021. Data were analyzed using generalized estimating equations.

RESULTS

The percentage of HCWs reporting high emotional exhaustion and/or depersonalization burnout increased significantly across time (18.5% to 28.4%, P = 0.010). Factors associated with increased emotional exhaustion included working in the ED (P = 0.011) or perioperative department (P < 0.001), being a nurse or medical technician (P's < 0.001), not having children (P < 0.001), and low conscientiousness (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Pediatric HCW burnout significantly increased over 11-months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results suggest that certain demographic and psychological factors may represent potential area to target for intervention for future pandemics.

IMPACT

This longitudinal study revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on pediatric healthcare worker burnout. The percentage of healthcare workers reporting high levels of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization burnout increased significantly over 11-months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results suggest that certain demographic and psychological factors may represent potential targets for future interventions.

Socioeconomic factors, perceived stress, and social support effect on neonatal nurse burnout in China: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Neonatal nurses' working environments are highly stressful, and burnout is common. This study examines the effect of socioeconomic factors, perceived stress, and social support on neonatal nurse burnout.

METHODS

A total of 311 neonatal nurses participated in this study. They were administered a validated Maslach Burnout Inventory. The study employed a 14-item perceived stress scale (PSS-14) and a social support rate scale (SSRS) to examine stress, socioeconomic factors, and lifestyles.

RESULTS

Of the neonatal nurses, 40.19% had burnout, 89.60% had mild burnout, and 10.40% had moderate burnout; no neonatal nurse experienced severe burnout. Young nurses and those with low technical skills, poor interpersonal relationships, irregular diet, and insufficient rest were exposed to burnout (all p < 0.05).Most burnout nurses experienced moderate-severe perceived stress, and their PSS-14 scores were higher (all p < 0.05).The scores for objective social support, subjective social support, utilization of social support, total SSRS scores, and the level of social support were all lower in burnout nurses (all p < 0.05). Perceived stress was correlated positively and significantly with emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment (all p < 0.05). Social support correlated significantly with and reduced personal accomplishments (p < 0.05). Age, poor interpersonal relationships, perceived stress, and social support were all independent factors associated with neonatal nurse burnout (all p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of burnout in neonatal nurses was higher than average. Socioeconomic factors, higher perceived stress, and lower social support contribute to neonatal nurse burnout. Nursing managers should pay attention to socioeconomic factors, perceived stress, and social support among neonatal nurses and employ strategies to reduce neonatal nurse burnout.

Big five model personality traits and job burnout: a systematic literature review

BACKGROUND

Job burnout negatively contributes to individual well-being, enhancing public health costs due to turnover, absenteeism, and reduced job performance. Personality traits mainly explain why workers differ in experiencing burnout under the same stressful work conditions. The current systematic review was conducted with the PRISMA method and focused on the five-factor model to explain workers' burnout risk.

METHODS

The databases used were Scopus, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and PsycINFO. Keywords used were: "Burnout," "Job burnout," "Work burnout," "Personality," and "Personality traits".

RESULTS

The initial search identified 3320 papers, from which double and non-focused studies were excluded. From the 207 full texts reviewed, the studies included in this review were 83 papers. The findings show that higher levels of neuroticism (r from 0.10** to 0.642***; β from 0.16** to 0.587***) and lower agreeableness (r from - 0.12* to - 0.353***; β from - 0.08*** to - 0.523*), conscientiousness (r from -0.12* to -0.355***; β from - 0.09*** to - 0.300*), extraversion (r from - 0.034** to - 0.33***; β from - 0.06*** to - 0.31***), and openness (r from - 0.18*** to - 0.237**; β from - 0.092* to - 0.45*) are associated with higher levels of burnout.

CONCLUSIONS

The present review highlighted the relationship between personality traits and job burnout. Results showed that personality traits were closely related to workers' burnout risk. There is still much to explore and how future research on job burnout should account for the personality factors.

Profiling health professionals' personality traits, behaviour styles and emotional intelligence: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Non-cognitive traits have been theorised to predict characteristics, career choice and outcomes of health professionals and could represent a homogenous group. This study aims to profile and compare personality traits, behaviour styles and emotional intelligence of health practitioners across a variety of professions.

METHODS

Empirical literature was systematically reviewed. A two-concept search strategy was applied to four databases (CINAHL, PubMed, Embase, ProQuest). Title/abstract and full text articles were screened against inclusion and exclusion criteria. Methodological quality was assessed using Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Data was synthesised narratively and meta-aggregated where feasible.

RESULTS

Three hundred twenty-one studies representing 153 assessment tools of personality (n = 83 studies), behaviour (n = 8), and emotional intelligence (n = 62) were included. Most studies (n = 171) explored personality (medicine, nursing, nursing assistants, dentistry, allied health, paramedics), revealing variation in traits across professions. Behaviour styles were least measured with only ten studies exploring these across four health professions (nursing, medicine, occupational therapy, psychology). Emotional intelligence (n = 146 studies) varied amongst professions (medicine, nursing, dentistry, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, radiology) with all exhibiting average to above-average scores.

CONCLUSION

Personality traits, behaviour styles and emotional intelligence are all key characteristics of health professionals reported in the literature. There is both heterogeneity and homogeneity within and between professional groups. The characterisation and understanding of these non-cognitive traits will aid health professionals to understand their own non-cognitive features and how these might be useful in predicting performance with potential to adapt these to enhance success within their chosen profession.

Personality Factors as Predictors in Burnout Level Changes for Surgical Area Nurses

Surgical area nurses provide comprehensive care to patients throughout the surgical process. Increases in life expectancy lead to the appearance and development of diseases, translating into an increase in the number of necessary interventions. Increases in the workload can be another risk factor for the development of burnout in professionals in this area. Knowledge of psychological and personality-related variables provides relevant information of level changes in the dimensions of burnout syndrome. Three logistic regression models, based on a cross-sectional study with 214 nurses working in the surgical area in the Andalusian Health Service, Spain, were built for each dimension. These models included different variables related to depression and personality, with some being significant at the population level and consequently true risk or protection factors. Friendliness, responsibility and extraversion are protection factors for the personal accomplishment dimension, whilst neuroticism is a risk factor for this dimension. Friendliness is also a protection factor for depersonalization, whilst depression is a risk factor. Finally, neuroticism, responsibility and depression are risk factors for the emotional exhaustion dimension of burnout. These findings provide relevant information that makes anticipation of this syndrome in this group easier.

Explanatory Models of Burnout Diagnosis Based on Personality Factors in Primary Care Nurses

Burnout in the primary care service takes place when there is a high level of interaction between nurses and patients. Explanatory models based on psychological and personality related variables provide an approximation to level changes in the three dimensions of the burnout syndrome. A categorical-response ordinal logistic regression model, based on a quantitative, crosscutting, multicentre, descriptive study with 242 primary care nurses in the Andalusian Health Service in Granada (Spain) is performed for each dimension. The three models included all the variables related to personality. The risk factor friendliness was significant at population level for the three dimensions, whilst openness was never significant. Neuroticism was significant in the models related to emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, whilst responsibility was significant for the models referred to depersonalization and personal accomplishment dimensions. Finally, extraversion was also significant in the emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment dimensions. The analysis performed provides useful information, making more readily the diagnosis and evolution of the burnout syndrome in this collective.

The relationship between nurses' personality traits and their perceptions of management by values, organizational justice, and turnover intention

PURPOSE

To determine the relationship between nurses' personality traits and their perceptions of management by values, organizational justice, and turnover intention.

DESIGN AND METHODS

It was a descriptive study. A demographic questionnaire, the big five personality scale, the organizational justice scale, the management by values scale, and the turnover intention scale were used to collect data.

FINDINGS

Data analysis did not demonstrate any relationship between nurses' personality traits and their perceptions of management by values, organizational justice, and turnover intention. However, results of regression analysis concluded that perceptions of management by values affected the nurses' perceptions of organizational justice positively.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Nurses' perceptions of organizational justice can be raised and turnover intention may be reduced by improving their perceptions of management by values.

Mental health of healthcare professionals: headaches and professional commitment interact to impact nurse turnover intention

Purpose

Nurses' health is vital for retaining nurses in the profession. However, lack of study has examined how headaches and professional commitment interact to impact professional turnover intention. This study aims to examine the moderating effect of nurses' headaches on the relationship among professional commitment factors (affective professional commitment, continuance professional commitment and normative professional commitment) and nurses' professional turnover intention.

Design/methodology/approach

This study employed a two-wave design and questionnaires to survey 524 nurses from a large medical center in Taiwan during February and March 2017 (the first wave) and June and August 2017 (the second wave). Headaches were measured using descriptions formulated by the International Headache Society. Items measuring other constructs came from relevant literature. Regression analysis was used to assess relationships between the constructs.

Findings

All aspects of professional commitment are negatively related to professional turnover intention (B [CI] = −0.47 [−0.58, −0.36], −0.20 [−0.29, −0.11], −0.22 [−0.32, −0.12], p < 0.001). Headaches reduce the negative relation between affective professional commitment and professional turnover intention (B [CI] = 0.14 [0.02,0.27], p = 0.02).

Practical implications

Headaches could interfere with nurses' commitment to the nursing profession and influence nurses' intention to leave. Managers should seek means to help alleviate nurses' headaches.

Originality/value

This study is the first to examine how headaches and professional commitment interact to influence nurses' professional turnover intention.

Explanatory Models of Burnout Diagnosis Based on Personality Factors and Depression in Managing Nurses

Nurse managers are affected by burnout due to the high degree of interaction between managers with their registered nurses. Explanatory models based on psychological, and personality related variables purvey an estimation to level changes in the three dimensions of the burnout syndrome. A categorical-response logistic ordinal regression model, supported on a quantitative, crosscutting, multicentre, descriptive study with 86 nursing managers in the Andalusian Health Service in Granada, Spain is performed for each dimension. The three models included different variables related to personality, as well as depression as the only explanatory variable included in all the models. The risk factor neuroticism was significant at population level and related to emotional exhaustion, whilst responsibility was significant in the model estimated to personal accomplishment dimension. Finally, depression was significant for the three dimensions of Burnout. This analysis provides useful information to help the diagnosis and evolution of this syndrome in this collective.

Influences of Occupational Burnout and Personality on Lipid Peroxidation Among Nurses in Shahroud City, Iran

Considering the relationship between occupational burnout and oxidative stress, identifying the factors that affect occupational burnout, such as recognizing individual characteristics, would be beneficial for implementing strategies to reduce oxidative stress levels. This study was conducted on 92 nurses from a hospital in Shahroud, a city in northeastern Iran, who were chosen at random. The data was collected through the Demographic Questionnaire, Maslach Burnout Inventory and Personality Factors Inventory. Each participant's serum markers of oxidative stress were also measured. Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and neuroticism were found to have a negative relationship in this study. Furthermore, marital status, the ward where nurses work, the type of contract, emotional exhaustion, and depersonalization were all found to be significant predictors of malondialdehyde (MDA). Neuroticism, emotional exhaustion, and depersonalization were the most important predictors of oxidative stress levels.The results of this study suggest that some approaches to reducing oxidative stress can be implemented by identifying the factors influencing occupational burnout and also by recognizing individuals' personality traits.

Burnout, stress and Type D personality amongst hospital/emergency physicians

INTRODUCTION

In previous studies, physicians have been identified as a high-risk group for burnout. Although the work environment has received more attention than specific determinants of personality traits, the latter might contribute to burnout.

STUDY OBJECTIVE

We aimed to investigate the association of Type D personality, job and organizational determinants with burnout, stress and work engagement as outcome factors among emergency physicians and hospital physicians working in intensive care and surgery departments. We specifically focused on our group of emergency physicians.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, self-report questionnaires were distributed via social media using a specific survey link to 531 Belgian hospital physicians working at the Emergency Department, Intensive Care, and Surgery Department between October 21, 2018, and April 11, 2019. The survey instrument included questions about sociodemographic characteristics, job characteristics, organizational factors, job satisfaction, social support by supervisors and colleagues (Leiden Quality of Work Questionnaire for Medical Doctors) and Type D personality (Distress Scale-14) and as outcomes burnout (Oldenburg Burnout Inventory) and work engagement (Utrecht Work Engagement Scale). A multiple regression analysis was used to examine the associations between the determinants and each of the outcomes with emergency physicians as the study population.

RESULTS

Eligible data were available for 436 questionnaires and involved 212 emergency physicians, 162 other hospital physicians (Intensive Care and Surgery Department) and 62 residents concerning both groups of physicians. Type D personality ranged from 28.5 to 29.1% in emergency physicians and other hospital physicians. Additionally, even after correcting for job-related and organizational factors, emergency physicians with Type D personality were seven times more likely to have a high risk for burnout.

CONCLUSION

As a result, this study offers a new perspective on the associations between burnout, stress and Type D personality. Type D personality might be a personality-related risk factor for burnout among emergency physicians. Therefore, we recommend enhanced prevention measures that take into account this individual factor in the further development of coaching programs. Improving the professional well-being of emergency physicians is necessary, especially in the scope of the recent COVID-19 pandemic, which has put a high demand on acute and emergency care departments.

The effect of an online individualized program to prevent nurse burnout – a mixed method study

Purpose

Preventing burnout and promoting psychological well-being in nurses are of great importance. In this study the effect of an online, stand-alone individualized preventive program for nurse burnout based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is described and explained.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed method study with an explanatory sequential design was applied. Quantitative data were collected from September 2015 to March 2016 during an intervention study with a pretest-posttest wait-list control group design within a population of hospital nurses in the Dutch speaking part of Belgium. Consecutively, 13 nurses from the intervention group who fully completed the program were interviewed.

Findings

All interviewed participants experienced some sort of effect due to working with the program. Emotional exhaustion remained stable in the intervention group and increased in the control group. However, this difference was not significant. Personal accomplishment decreased significantly within the intervention group when compared to the control group. This might be explained by the self-awareness that was created through the program, which confronted participants with their weaknesses and problems.

Originality/value

This study adds to the understanding of online individual burnout prevention. The results suggest the feasibility of an online program to prevent nurse burnout. This could be optimized by complementing it with organizational interventions, introducing refresher courses, reminders and follow-up. Furthermore, additional attention should be devoted to preparing the implementation in order to minimize attrition rates.

Factors Associated With Burnout in Trauma Nurses

BACKGROUND

Burnout is a psychological syndrome resulting from repeated stressors experienced in the workplace that centers on emotional exhaustion, detachment from the job, and a sense of ineffectiveness. It has been previously demonstrated that burnout exists in the health care workforce, but there has been limited investigation of burnout in nurses who primarily provide care for patients who have been traumatically injured. The purpose of this study was to explore factors associated with burnout reported by trauma nurses.

METHODS

This was a secondary analysis of a cross-sectional survey distributed at a large, academic Level I trauma center that serves both adult and pediatric patients. For this analysis, only the Burnout subscale of the Professional Quality of Life scale Version 5 (ProQOL) was used. Multivariate hierarchical regression was used to determine factors associated with burnout reported by trauma nurses.

RESULTS

Protective factors included being female, being married, and better quality of sleep. Risk factors included having a mental health diagnosis and working with adult populations.

CONCLUSIONS

These results provide an important contribution to the burnout risk profile for trauma nurses and may provide insight into future investigations as well as development and testing of tailored interventions to mitigate burnout in trauma nurses.

Personality traits affect critical care nursing competence: A multicentre cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the relationship between personality traits and critical care nursing competence among critical care nurses.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY/DESIGN

Multicentre cross-sectional survey using a self-report questionnaire and path modelling, from August 2017 to December 2018.

SETTING

Six intensive care units in Japan.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

We assessed relationships among the Big Five personality traits and four critical care nursing competencies in nurses.

FINDINGS

We included 211 nurses (77.7% women, 59.2% in their 20 s); 62.6% had 1-5 years' critical care nursing experience. Among the four competencies, principles of nursing care had a direct positive effect on decision-making (0.77, p < 0.001); decision-making had a direct positive effect on collaboration (0.74, p < 0.001) and nursing interventions (0.77, p < 0.001). The personality traits openness to experience, agreeableness, and extraversion had a significantly positive effect (0.17, p < 0.05; 0.43, p < 0.001; 0.29, p < 0.01; respectively) on principles of nursing care, the key competency. The personality trait neuroticism had a direct or indirect negative effect on all four nursing competencies.

CONCLUSION

Nursing competence in the critical care setting is affected by personality traits. Our findings can be applied in nursing education to improve competence based on individual personality traits.

The influence of personality, alexithymia and work engagement on burnout among village doctors in China: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

In China, as the "gatekeepers"of rural residents' health, the primary-level village doctors, play a very crucial role in ensuring and serving the health level of rural residents. However, the burnout of village doctors is gravely threatening the stability of rural primary medical system step by step. This study systematically evaluated the effects of personality, work engagement and alexithymia on burnout of village doctors, and further measured and assessed the mediating effect of alexithymia and work engagement in the association between personality and burnout.

METHODS

The subjects were 2684 village doctors in Jining, Shandong Province, China, from May to June 2019. Sociodemographic characteristics, alexithymia, personality, work engagement and job burnout were quantitated by self-completed questionnaire and measured by Likert 5-7 scale. One-way ANOVA, Person correlation analysis, and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) were used for statistical analysis and mediating effect evaluation.

RESULTS

2693 questionnaires were collected in total, of which 2684 were valid, with an effective rate of 96.2%. 65.2% of village doctors were diagnosed with burnout, and 54.3% showed moderate to severe emotional exhaustion, 61.6% showed moderate to severe low sense of personal achievement, and 33.9% showed moderate to severe depersonalization burnout. Personality had a direct positive effect on work engagement (β = 0.50, p < 0.001), a direct negative effect on alexithymia (β = - 0.52, p < 0.001) and burnout (β = - 0.50, p < 0.001) respectively. Work engagement had a direct negative effect on burnout (β = - 0.10, p < 0.001), while alexithymia had a direct positive effect on burnout (β = 0.16, p < 0.001). In the path between personality and burnout, both work engagement 95%CI:(- 0.17)-(- 0.08), and alexithymia 95%CI:(- 0.36)-(- 0.09), have significant mediating effects. These results strongly confirm that personality, alexithymia, and work engagement are early and powerful predicators of burnout.

CONCLUSION

According to the results, medical administrators should pay attention to the personality characteristics of village doctors in vocational training, practice selection and job assignment, encourage village doctors to reflect on their own personality actively, and to reduce job burnout by obtaining necessary social support, constructing reasonable achievable career expectations, improving time management ability, and participating in psychological counselling programs.

The construction of contemporary nursing identity from narrative accounts of practice and professional life

OBJECTIVE

To explore the contemporary narrative of nursing identity in Spain.

METHOD

This qualitative study was conducted between 2018 and 2020. Eleven registered nurses were interviewed. The conversations were recorded in audio, were semistructured, and held in a mental health clinic affiliated with a Catholic institution. Narrative analysis of the data was carried out.

FINDINGS

Two themes were identified: How do I construct my professional life?, with the subthemes 'Training and initiation in care practice', 'Ways of living the professional care experience', 'The sculpting of care' and 'Self-image and future projection'; and What do I know about my practice?, with the subthemes 'Nursing experience: shift, days, years', 'Strategy in the field of nursing care', 'Some foundations of caregiving practice', 'The specificity of the gesture of care' and 'Voice and recognition of nursing within the institution'.

CONCLUSION

Contemporary nursing identity is built in reflections on the epistemology of care, confronting the weight of tradition and breaking into new modes of self-image where the profession is legitimized and projected from historical consciousness. This claim can be used to support reflective practice in academic and healthcare settings as well as to promote a paradigm shift.

Prevalence of burnout risk and factors associated with burnout risk among ICU nurses during the COVID-19 outbreak in French speaking Belgium

OBJECTIVE

Burnout is a global work-related phenomenon. Intensive care unit (ICU) nurses are at risk of burnout and the COVID-19 pandemic may increase this risk. The objectives of this study were to assess the prevalence of burnout risk and identify risk factors among ICU nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Web-based survey performed during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in French speaking Belgium.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Risk of burnout was assessed with the Maslach Burnout Inventory scale.

RESULTS

A total of 1135 ICU nurses responded to the questionnaire. The overall prevalence of burnout risk was 68%. A total of 29% of ICU nurses were at risk of depersonalisation (DP), 31% of reduced personal accomplishment (PA), and 38% of emotional exhaustion (EE). A 1:3 nurse-to-patient ratio increased the risk of EE (OR = 1.77, 95% CI: 1.07-2.95) and DP (OR = 1.38, 95% CI: 1.09-2.40). Those who reported having a higher perceived workload during the COVID-19 pandemic were at higher risk for all dimensions of burnout. Shortage of personal protective equipment increased the risk of EE (OR = 1.78, 95% CI: 1.35-3.34) and nurses who reported having symptoms of COVID-19 without being tested were at higher risk of EE (OR = 1.40, 95% CI: 1.68-1.87).

CONCLUSIONS

Two-thirds of ICU nurses were at risk of burnout and this risk was associated with their working conditions during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. We recommend monitoring the risk of burnout and implementing interventions to prevent and manage it, taking into account the factors identified in this study.

Burnout or Fade Away; experiences of health professionals caring for patients with head and neck cancer

PURPOSE

The oncology workforce has been found to have high risk of burnout; however, limited research has explored the experiences of health professionals working with head and neck cancer patients. The objective of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of health professionals who work directly with patients diagnosed with head and neck cancers, with a focus on work-life balance, mental health and wellbeing.

METHOD

A total of 21 in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with health professionals including radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, nurses, and associated medical and allied health professionals. A qualitative research approach based on social constructionist theory was used. Thematic analysis was used to identify and code themes.

RESULTS

Five main themes emerged: 1. Conscientiousness; 2. Empathy; 3. Challenges; 4. Coping; and 5. Burnout or Fade Away. Challenges included sub-themes of Time & Resource Constraints, Work-Life Imbalance, Patients with Complex Needs, and Lack of Self-Care.

CONCLUSION

It is vital to the sustainability of head and neck oncology services that this highly skilled workforce is retained. The development of interventions that will reduce the risk of burnout and improve retention and capacity of health professionals may include advanced communication skills training, trauma sensitivity training, self-compassion and stress management skills.

Predictors of burnout of health professionals in the departments of maternity and gynaecology, and its association with personality factors: A multicentre study

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To analyse the prevalence, levels and phases of burnout syndrome in midwives and obstetrics and gynaecology nurses, and to evaluate the relationship between burnout and sociodemographic, occupational and psychological factors.

BACKGROUND

Burnout syndrome is a major problem in occupational health, characterised by feelings of exhaustion, depersonalisation and a low sense of personal achievement that appears after long-term occupational stress. Recent research has found that burnout harms the physical and mental well-being of workers, and jeopardises the quality of care provided. The association between burnout and a risk profile in maternity wards has not previously been investigated but it deserves special attention since it is a highly stressful area to work in.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional survey design was selected.

METHODS

A total of 150 nurses and midwives at 18 hospitals participated in this study. The data were collected using the Maslach Burnout Inventory, NEO Personality Inventory and the Educational-Clinical Questionnaire: Anxiety and Depression. This study adhered to the STROBE guideline.

RESULTS

17% of participants presented high levels of emotional exhaustion, 16.6% high depersonalisation and 55.1% a sense of low personal accomplishment. The sociodemographic and occupational variables related to burnout were gender, marital status and work shift. The three dimensions of the syndrome, emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and personal accomplishment were predicted by depression, neuroticism, agreeableness and openness.

CONCLUSIONS

One third of the sample presented high levels of burnout, which was most strongly experienced as feelings of low personal accomplishment. Furthermore, personality factors play an important role in the development of burnout syndrome.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

Managers and policy makers should promote strategies to reduce burnout. To prevent the syndrome, personality factors should be taken into account, for the early identification of a profile of professionals most at risk of developing burnout.

Exploring the influence of core-self evaluations, situational factors, and coping on nurse burnout: A cross-sectional survey study

Stress has become an inherent aspect of the nursing profession. Chronically experienced work stress can lead to burnout. Although situational stressors show a significant influence on burnout, their power to predict the complete syndrome is rather limited. After all, stressors only exist "in the eye of the beholder". This study aimed to explore how individual vulnerability factors such as core-self evaluations and coping, contribute to burnout in relation to situational stressors within a population of hospital nurses. Cross-sectional data was collected in 2014, using five validated self-report instruments: Dutch Core Self Evaluations Scale, Nursing Work Index Revised, Utrecht Coping List, Ruminative Response Scale, and Utrecht Burnout Scale. 219 of the 250 questionnaires were returned. Core-self evaluations, situational factors and coping each contributed significantly to the predictive capacity of the models of the separate burnout dimensions. Core-self evaluations was significantly related to emotional exhaustion. It was suggested that Core-self evaluations might be placed at the initiation of the loss cycle. However, further research is warranted.

Burnout syndrome in Brazilian and Spanish nursing workers

Objective:

to analyze the burnout dimensions scores in Brazilian and Spanish nursing workers.

Method:

quantitative, cross-sectional and comparative study conducted with 589 Nursing workers who answered the Sociodemographic and Professional Characterization Questionnaire and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Descriptive and analytical analysis of the data was performed.

Results:

Spanish Nursing workers presented higher averages in the Depersonalization dimension (p = 0.004) and Brazilians, higher scores in the Professional Achievement dimension (p = 0.031). In both Spain and Brazil, nursing assistants / technicians were found to have higher Emotional Exhaustion than nurses; In Brazil, Depersonalization is higher in nurses and in Spain it is higher in Nursing assistants / technicians. Statistically significant results were found in the association of burnout dimensions with sociodemographic and work characteristics: age; professional category; workplace; work regime; work shift; time of professional experience; working time in the same workplace and consider stressful work.

Conclusion:

Although Brazilian and Spanish nursing workers score low levels of Depersonalization and high Professional Achievement, there are average levels of Emotional Exhaustion, indicating an important preventive factor to be worked on, since Emotional Exhaustion is considered the first stage of burnout.

Vulnerability and Stressors for Burnout Within a Population of Hospital Nurses: A Qualitative Descriptive Study

BACKGROUND

The multitude of negative consequences of nurse burnout calls for interventions to protect the well-being of the individual nurses, patients, and hospital organizations. However, much is still to be discovered about the development of this complex psychological syndrome.

PURPOSE

This study aimed to describe the development of nurse burnout for a population of Flemish hospital nurses while considering vulnerability and situational stressors as indicated by the vulnerability-stress model.

METHODS

Ten registered nurses were enlisted for semistructured interviews through purposive sampling. All selected nurses were currently suffering from burnout, showed a burnout risk, or had gone through a burnout in the past. A descriptive thematic analysis was performed with themes inductively emerging from the data.

RESULTS

Four main themes emerged: "being passionate about doing well or being good," "teamwork," "manager," and "work and personal circumstances." More specifically, it was the discrepancy between the first individual vulnerability factor and the three situational stressors that led to feelings of stress and burnout.

CONCLUSIONS

The essence of the development of nurse burnout was found in the discrepancy between individual vulnerability and situational stressors. Therefore, we recommend burnout prevention to target both factors.

A Multicentre Study of Psychological Variables and the Prevalence of Burnout among Primary Health Care Nurses

Nurses in primary health care (PHC) have multiple responsibilities but must often work with limited resources. The study's aim was to estimate burnout levels among PHC nurses. A Quantitative, observational, cross-sectional, multicentre study of 338 nurses working in PHC in the Andalusian Public Health Service (Spain) is presented. A total of 40.24% of the nurses studied had high levels of burnout. The dimensions of emotional exhaustion and depersonalisation were significantly associated with anxiety, depression, neuroticism, on-call duty and seniority-profession and inversely related to agreeableness. In addition, depersonalisation was significantly associated with gender, and emotional exhaustion correlated inversely with age. Personal achievement was inversely associated with anxiety and depression and positively correlated with agreeableness, extraversion and responsibility. There is a high prevalence of burnout among nurses in PHC. Those most likely to suffer burnout syndrome are relatively young, suffer from anxiety and depression and present high scores for neuroticism and low ones for agreeableness, responsibility and extraversion.

Relationship between personality traits and burnout in oncology nurses

INTRODUCTION

Nurses burnout is a serious problem which can affect their health, the quality of patient care, and health institutions. Personality traits affect level of nurse burnout, and burnout characteristics vary depending on nurses' personality traits. The present study assessed burnout levels in order to determine stages of burnout in oncology nurses and to analyze the relationship between burnout and demographic characteristics and personality traits.

METHODOLOGY

This is a cross-sectional study performed on 106 oncology nurses working in Baghaei Hospital affiliated to Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences in Iran. The main personality traits were assessed using the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) and anxiety and depression employing a clinical educational questionnaire. The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) was utilized to determine burnout levels, the t-test to compare the means, and Pearson correlation to evaluate correlations between personality traits and the different dimensions of the MBI.

FINDINGS

About 32.1% of the oncology nurses present in this study were in the most severe phase of burnout. Depersonalization and emotional exhaustion had a significant positive correlation with anxiety and depression, whereas personal accomplishment had a negative correlation with anxiety and depression.

CONCLUSION

A significant number of the oncology nurses experienced the most severe stage of burnout. Given the effects of personality traits on burnout dimensions, they should be taken into account to prevent the burnout syndrome.

EBN perspectives: nursing issues

EBN Perspectives brings together key issues from the commentaries in one of our nursing topic themes.

Is nursing student personality important for considering a rural career?

PURPOSE

Identifying and measuring personality traits assists to understanding professional career choices, however, what impact personality traits have on nursing student rural career choice remains absent. The purpose of this paper is to identify personality traits among nursing students that may be predictive of pursuing a rural career.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH

A cross-sectional design was used to examine the importance Bachelor of Nursing students place on undertaking rural careers. All nursing students (n=1,982) studying a three-year bachelor's degree were invited to complete a questionnaire examining personality traits and rural practice intentions.

FINDINGS

Students who saw themselves working rurally after graduation had higher levels of conscientiousness than those who wanted metropolitan careers. Students with higher levels of agreeableness or open-mindedness were more likely to consider rural practice when individual community factors were carefully considered. Finally, students with higher levels of neuroticism were less likely to consider rural practice as a future career pathway.

RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS

The cohort had high numbers of student from rural and regional settings, which may limit the ability to generalise the findings. In addition, student respondents of the survey may not be representative of the whole student cohort given the low response rate.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE

Key personality traits are identifying factors that contribute to nursing student decision making regarding rural practice. Students who displayed higher levels of agreeableness and conscientiousness and open-mindedness have traits that are most likely to impact the consideration of rural practice across their nursing career, which gives additional insight into targeted recruitment strategies.

A Community Hospital NICU Developmental Care Partner Program: Feasibility and Association With Decreased Nurse Burnout Without Increased Infant Infection Rates

BACKGROUND

Volunteers can provide staff-directed sensory inputs to infants hospitalized in the NICU, but research on volunteer programs is limited.

PURPOSE

To evaluate the feasibility of a developmental care partner (DCP) program in a level III NICU and determine its relationship with provider burnout and infant infection rates.

METHODS

DCPs were trained to provide sensory input to infants, based on the behavioral cues observed by the occupational therapists and nursing staff, in medically stable infants. Feasibility was assessed by documenting the process of training and utilizing volunteers, as well as tracking duration and frequency of DCP visits. Staff burnout measures were assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS) before and after implementation. Infant infection rates before and after the introduction of volunteers were compared.

RESULTS

Seventy-two volunteers were interested, and 25 (35%) completed the DCP competencies and provided sensory exposures to 54 neonates, who were visited an average of 8 times (range 1-15). Twelve (48%) DCPs did once-per-week visits, and 9 (36%) did at least 50 contact hours. MBI-HSS scores for staff emotional exhaustion (P < .001) and depersonalization (P < .006) were lower after DCP implementation. There were no differences in infant infection rates before and after DCP implementation (Fisher exact P = 1.000).

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Volunteer-based DCP programs may be feasible to implement in community hospitals and could help reduce staff emotional exhaustion and depersonalization without increasing the incidence of infant infections.

IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH

Future research on NICU volunteer programs with larger sample sizes and different infant populations is warranted.

A big-five personality model-based study of empathy behaviors in clinical nurses

Empathy is the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from within the other person's frame of reference. Many studies have shown that enhancement of nurses' empathy capability can promote a good nurse-patient relationship. However, little research investigates the strategies to improve nurses' empathy abilities. This study investigated the characteristics of nurses' personality trait and empathy and explore the correlation between nurses' empathy and personality. A total of 471 nurses participated in this study. This study found that empathy was positively associated with conscientiousness and agreeableness, negatively associated with neuroticism. The personality traits were able to explain 37.5% of the overall variation in empathy capability, while agreeableness and conscientiousness tendency were significantly associated with empathy capability in nurses. Big five personality trait theory is a pretty good model to predict the empathy level of nurses, which could also play a positive role in improving the empathy ability, managing the satisfaction of patients and provision of quality and safe care customized to patients' needs and preferences. In addition, training programs emphasizing emotions, psychology and healthy personality should be strengthened to promote nurses' empathy.

An Explanatory Model of Potential Changes in Burnout Diagnosis According to Personality Factors in Oncology Nurses

Burnout in a hospital oncology service takes place when there is a high level of interaction between nurses and patients. The aim of the present study is to identify models that will enable us to accurately classify a person at a given level within each of the three dimensions of burnout, according to the values presented for personality related explanatory variables, for a sample of 96 oncology nurses working in the regional health service of Andalusia (Spain). A quantitative, crosscutting, multicentre, descriptive study was designed, and for this purpose data on sociodemographic and personality variables and on the three dimensions of burnout were compiled. Three categorical-response logit ordinal models were used and the prognostic ratios for each level were obtained, with respect to every other level, according to possible changes in the explanatory variables considered. Certain personality factors are associated with one or more dimensions of burnout syndrome. Thus, nurses are more likely to develop high levels of burnout if they present high levels of neuroticism and low levels of friendliness and responsibility. Further research in this field is needed to confirm and extend these findings.

A Multicentre Study of Burnout Prevalence and Related Psychological Variables in Medical Area Hospital Nurses

Background: Nursing burnout is an important problem that affects nurses’ wellness, the quality of care and the health institutions. Study aims were to estimate levels of burnout; to determine the phase of burnout experienced by nurses in the medical area; to analyse the relationship between burnout and personality and psychological factors. Methods: Quantitative, cross-sectional, multicentre study. Hospitals from eight cities were included. The study sample was n = 301 nurses, working in the medical area of hospitals in the Andalusian Health Service during the second semester of 2017. Sociodemographic, occupational and personality variables were studied using the Revised NEO Personality Inventory together with the Educational-Clinical Questionnaire: Anxiety and Depression, and burnout was measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Results: Almost 40% of the nurses presented high levels of burnout. The three burnouts (emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and personal accomplishment) presented statistically significant correlations with the personality factors of neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness, and also with the scores recorded for anxiety and depression. Multiple linear regression models showed agreeableness and depression to be statistically significant predictors of all dimensions of the syndrome. Conclusion: Hospital nurses working in the medical area in Andalusia experience high levels of burnout.