Factors Affecting Occupational Burnout Among Nurses Including Job Satisfaction, Life Satisfaction, and Life Orientation: A Cross-Sectional Study

Agnieszka Zborowska; Piotr Jerzy Gurowiec; Agnieszka Młynarska; Izabella Uchmanowicz

doi:10.2147/PRBM.S325325

Factors Affecting Occupational Burnout Among Nurses Including Job Satisfaction, Life Satisfaction, and Life Orientation: A Cross-Sectional Study

Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2021 Oct 30:14:1761-1777. doi: 10.2147/PRBM.S325325. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Agnieszka Zborowska¹, Piotr Jerzy Gurowiec², Agnieszka Młynarska^{3

4}, Izabella Uchmanowicz^{1

5}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Clinical Nursing, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland.
² Institute of Health Sciences, University of Opole, Opole, Poland.
³ Department of Gerontology and Geriatric Nursing, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland.
⁴ Department of Electrocardiology, Upper Silesian Heart Centre, Katowice, Poland.
⁵ Centre for Heart Diseases, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland.

Abstract

Purpose: Everyday nursing practice under demanding conditions, high mental and physical strain may result in occupational burnout. There is still a need for studies on the comprehensive identification of burnout among nursing staff. This study aimed to evaluate factors affecting occupational burnout among nurses, including job satisfaction, life satisfaction, and dispositional optimism.

Methods: The study involved 625 survey participants with a mean age of 49.47 years and was conducted between January and December 2018. The inclusion criteria were job experience >1 year, current nurse work activity, and written informed consent to participate in the study. The study used standardized research tools such as Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), Life Orientation Test-Revised version (LOT-R), Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), and Satisfaction with Job Scale (SWJS). Also, sociodemographic data were collected using a self-developed questionnaire. The STROBE guidelines were followed.

Results: Emotional exhaustion (EE) was significantly greater in respondents with medium life satisfaction (SWLS). Also, EE was significantly greater in pessimists and those with a neutral orientation than in optimists (LOT-R). Housing conditions and family-related problems were significant factors differentiating depersonalization (DEP). Reduced personal accomplishment (PA) was more significant in respondents with a bachelor's degree than in those with a master's degree. Also, decreased PA was significantly greater in respondents with low life satisfaction than those with medium life satisfaction. Life satisfaction and life orientation were significant factors differentiating job dissatisfaction among the health-related and psychological variables.

Conclusion: Burnout was found to be related to individual, interpersonal and organizational feelings. There was an interrelationship between personality traits, where a higher level of occupational burnout was found among nurses with a pessimist attitude. Health programs should be implemented to identify and eliminate burnout through mental health support, improved communication skills, optimized teamwork, and evidence-based interventions.

Keywords: dispositional optimism; emotional exhaustion; job satisfaction; life satisfaction; nurses; occupational burnout.

Grants and funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.