Role of professional activity in the development of emotional burnout syndrome in nurses

Abstract

Introduction. The emotional burnout of nurses is an urgent problem of the modern healthcare system. Emotional burnout of nurses entails a decrease in their mental and physical health. The aim of the study was to evaluate the role of professional activity in the development of emotional burnout syndrome in nurses. Materials and methods. The nurses (109 persons) at the age from 19 to 63 years were the objects of the study. The nurses were divided into 4 probation categories: experience less than 10 years, 10–20 years, 21–30 years and more than 30 years. Physiological, questionnaire, and statistical methods were used. Results. 77.8±0.62% examined nurses had a manifestation of emotional burnout syndrome (EBS), formed at least in one of the phases. The most significant EBS manifestations were in the form of professional achievements reduction (more than 60% surveyed), emotional exhaustion (from 45.4 to 22.3%) and low values of depersonalization (11.2÷16.8%). According to the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI), more than 50% participants suffered from moderate burnout in all its subscales. The percentage of nurses with high burnout level was 37.2±0.004% for the work-related subscale, 36.2±0.005% for the personal burnout-related subscale and only 26.4±0.003% for the patient-related subscale. The results of the assessment of the working capacity level according to the WAI questionnaire registered that nurses in the probationary dynamics had a significant decrease from the «good working capacity» level (38.2±0.79 points) in the first probationary group to «unsatisfactory working capacity» level in the third and fourth groups (34.6±1.36 and 29.8±2.09 points, respectively, p<0.05). The adaptation process was accompanied by the regulation mechanisms tension and was characterized by a decrease in the degree of predominance link of the parasympathetic over the sympathetic link of the autonomic nervous system and an increase in the degree of centralization of heart rate control. Limitations. This study is limited to a sampling of nurses of Karaganda hospitals who acquired emotional burnout syndrome during their industrial activity. Emotional burnout was diagnosed by the questionnaires of Maslach, Jackson and Copenhagen Burnout Inventory. Conclusion. Nurses are exposed to adverse the complex of production factors during their professional activities. And stress is the most frequent factor. Prolonged exposure to occupational stress is the cause of the emotional burnout development, the increase of which leads to a decrease in efficiency and in high-quality performance of their professional duties. At the same time, compliance with the norms of professional ethics among nurses remains a priority. Ethics. Since non-invasive research methods were used in the work, submission of the conclusion of the Biomedical Ethics Committee or other documents is not required.