Burnout among Nurses in Critical Care Units: Addressing a Persistent Challenge
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31674/mjn.2024.v16i02.010Abstract
Background: Burnout is a highly prevalent occupational disease among nurses, especially those working in complex critical care settings. Objective: To determine the level of burnout among nurses practicing in critical care units. Methods: This study employed a descriptive cross-sectional design, involving 377 nurses working in critical care units across 13 hospitals in Iraq. Data were collected using sociodemographic, professional characteristics of the nursing competency and performance, and the Burnout Assessment Tool. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics. Results: The study showed a high prevalence of overall burnout among nurses, with a mean score of 2.53. The study also revealed medium levels of mental detachment, cognitive impairment, emotional impairment, and psychological distress, with mean scores of 2.18, 1.85, 2.17, and 2.71, respectively. The exhaustion and psychosomatic complaints scored highly, with mean scores of 3.07 and 2.87, respectively. Conclusion: Nurses in critical care units experienced a high level of burnout. Within the dimensions of burnout, high levels of exhaustion and psychosomatic complaints were found, as were medium levels for each of the dimensions of mental distance, cognitive impairment, emotional impairment, and psychological distress.
Keywords:
Burnout, Nurses, Intensive Care UnitsDownloads
References
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