The etiology of burnout syndrome and the levels of stress among nurses
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Abstract
Introduction: Burnout syndrome refers to emotional exhaustion and diminished personal performance as a result of the individual’s dwindling energy resources and adaptation power due to chronic job stresses. The present study was performed to examine the effect of different etiologies of this syndrome and the stress levels of nurses working in hospitals affiliated with Jahrom University of Medical Sciences. Materials and Methods: This study was a descriptive cross-sectional study. Census sampling was performed on all 212 nurses working in the hospitals of Jahrom University of Medical Sciences (Motahhari and Peymanieh) in winter 2012 and spring 2013. The data collection instrument included two checklists for investigating the causes of burnout syndrome and Cohen’s perceived stress scale. The data were analyzed with the SPSS software, using descriptive statistical methods, regression, and Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients. Results: According to the nurses, management, social, and professions’ domains, respectively, were the most important causes of burnout syndrome. Most nurses (76.41%) suffered medium levels of stress. A statistically significant relationship was observed between the burnout degree and stress levels (p<0.05). Conclusion: The results showed that, according to the nurses, different factors had different effects on the incidence of job burnout syndrome therefore, the incidence rate of this syndrome should be reduced by taking appropriate measures to ease different stresses.
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