Association of Communication Competence and Nursing Professionalism with Burnout Among Nurses Working at Coronavirus Residential Treatment Centers

Abstract

Abstract Background: Owing to the increasing number of cases of the coronavirus disease, treatment facilities and nursing services were diversifying, necessitating appropriate hiring and operating guidelines. The purpose of this study was to identify the association of communication skills and nursing professionalism with burnout among nurses who have worked at coronavirus residential treatment centers since March 2020. Methods: This study followed a cross-sectional design. An online survey was conducted in November 2021 using a self-report questionnaire covering sociodemographic characteristics, communication competence, nursing professionalism, and burnout. Results: The data of 145 nurses were analyzed. The average scores for communication competence, nursing professionalism, and burnout were 3.70, 3.25, and 2.98, respectively. Nursing professionalism was positively correlated with communication competence and negatively correlated with burnout. Factors associated with burnout were the length of residential treatment center service, prior experience in responding to infectious diseases, and nursing professionalism, with an explanatory power of 24.0%. Conclusions: Higher nursing professionalism, greater experience in responding to infectious diseases, and longer residential treatment center service period were associated with lower burnout. This study provides evidence to frame guidelines for hiring priorities and working conditions in an unfamiliar clinical nursing setting in the context of future infectious disease outbreaks to reduce nurses’ burnout.