Introduction: The professional activity of a human being can be the source of satisfaction and fulfillment but also of frustration and discontent. Professions involving contacts with people (nursing, medicine, teaching) carry the risk of burnout as a consequence of long-term stress and inefficient coping with professional burdens. Burnout may have a negative impact on the physical, psychic, emotional, familial and professional spheres of life. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of burnout among nurses and their knowledge about methods of protection against burnout.
Material and methods: We performed a questionnaire survey in 100 nurses working in the province of Podkarpackie.
Results: More than half of the surveyed nurses (56%) declared that they chose their job to help others, while 15% gave priority to the prestige of this profession. According to 80% of the respondents, lack of respect for the nurse represents the most stressful factor at work. This is followed by complaints from patients and their families (71%), patients under the influence of alcohol (44%), and fast pace of work (27%). 39% of the nurses diagnosed themselves with burnout, while 35% believed they were at risk of burnout.