Individual and Organizational Factors at the Basis of Newly Graduated Nurses’ Burnout

• Background: Nurses’ burnout is extremely costly for hospitals and society in general. This is of special concern among newly graduated nurses, because about 25%-30% of them burnout or drop their jobs after the first year of employment. The aim of the present study was to investigate if newly graduated nurses’ perception of their work climate mediated the relationship between their personality and burnout symptoms. Method: At the beginning of their first year of work, 120 Swedish nurses answered the Temperament and Character Inventory, the Learning Climate Questionnaire, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. We conducted hierarchical regression analysis to test if the effect of personality on burnout was mediated by nurses’ outlook on their work climate. Results: The mediation model was significant (F = 2.30, F-change = 4.71, p < .05, R2 = .14). Both Harm Avoidance ( = .27, p < .05) and Persistence ( = .22, p < .05) were related to higher levels of burnout. However, nurses’ perception of their work climate totally mediated the effect of both Harm Avoidance ( = .19, p = .10) and Persistence ( = .16, p = .15) on burnout. Conclusion: Nurses with a personality profile characterized by excessive worrying, pessimism, shyness, and fear (i.e., high Harm Avoidance) and who were perseverant in spite of fatigue or frustration (i.e., high Persistence) were more vulnerable to burnout because of their tendency to perceive lack of support and a highly demanding workplace. Moreover, they perceived a general feeling of work dissatisfaction and lacked sense of control over organizational events and the opportunity to learn and develop their competence. In sum, interventions aimed to mitigate the effect of critical work factors on burnout have to consider personality first; that is, the key to prevent burnout might be the development of a resilient personality profile.

Subject headings

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Psykologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Psychology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Personality

Organizational Learning Climate

Burnout

Publication and Content Type

vet (subject category)

kon (subject category)