Abstract
Abstract
Background
Job burnout is a prevalent and emerging challenge in the primary medical system, causing mass turnover, especially of primary medical staff. Little attention has been paid to the different dimensions of job burnout (emotional exhaustion, personality disintegration, and reduced sense of achievement), which may hinder efforts to tackle high turnover intention among primary medical staff. From the perspective of conservation of resources theory, social support and psychological capital are basic resources with potential to diminish job burnout and thus lower turnover intention. However, there is insufficient research evidence on the relationships between social support, psychological capital, and the three dimensions of job burnout within the primary medical system.
Objectives
Focusing on primary medical staff, this study conducts a path analysis to examine the correlations between two types of resources (social support and psychological capital) and the three dimensions of job burnout, and to test the impact of the latter on turnover intention. Based on the results, effective management strategies to improve the work stability of primary medical staff are proposed.
Methods
Multi-stage cluster random sampling was used to select participants in Anhui Province, China. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire containing measures of the main variables and demographic questions. In total, 1132 valid questionnaires were returned by primary medical staff. Structural equation modeling was used for path analysis of the data.
Results
Social support was negatively associated with emotional exhaustion (β = − 0.088, P = 0.020), personality disintegration (β = − 0.235, P < 0.001), and reduced sense of achievement (β = − 0.075, P = 0.040). Moreover, psychological capital was negatively associated with emotional exhaustion (β = − 0.079, P = 0.030), personality disintegration (β = − 0.156, P < 0.001), and reduced sense of achievement (β = − 0.432, P < 0.001). All three dimensions of job burnout positively affected turnover intention (emotional exhaustion: β = 0.246, P < 0.001; personality disintegration: β = 0.076, P = 0.040; reduced sense of achievement: β = 0.119, P = 0.001).
Conclusions
The results highlight the importance of social support and psychological capital for diminishing the three dimensions of job burnout for primary medical staff and, in turn, lowering their turnover intention. Accordingly, to alleviate job burnout and improve staff retention, material and psychological supports from leaders, colleagues, family, relatives, and friends are essential, as are measures to improve the psychological energy of primary medical staff.
Funder
Anhui Zhongji Guoyi Medical Technology Co.,Ltd' Open Program of Hospital Management Institute, Anhui Medical University
Key scientific research projects of colleges and universities in Anhui Province
Graduate Research projects in Colleges and Universities of Anhui Province
Major Project of Philosophy and Social Science Research in Colleges and Universities of Jiangsu Province
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC