Perceived stress, self-compassion and job burnout in nurses: the moderating role of self-compassion

Abstract

Background Job burnout is more prevalent among nurses than other medical team members and may have adverse effects on the mental and physical health of both nurses and their patients. Aims To evaluate the associations between job burnout as a dependent variable with perceived stress and self-compassion as independent variables, and test the buffering role of self-compassion in the link between perceived stress and job burnout in nurses. Methods This is a cross-sectional study with a convenience sampling method. A total of 150 nurses from four hospitals in Tehran, Iran participated in this study and completed three questionnaires, namely the Perceived Stress Scale, the Self-Compassion Scale and the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory. Results Partial least square-structural equation modelling showed greater levels of perceived stress associated with greater levels of job burnout (β = 0.795, p < 0.001), and greater levels of self-compassion associated with lower levels of job burnout (β = –0.512, p < 0.001) in nurses. The results of the interaction-moderation analysis showed that self-compassion diminished the effect of perceived stress on job burnout in nurses. Conclusions The results of this study not only showed a significant association between perceived stress and job burnout in nurses, but also increased our understanding about the buffering role of self-compassion in the link between perceived stress and job burnout in nurses.