Burnout and associated factors among nurses in psychiatric and general tertiary hospitals in Botswana: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Introduction: Research has consistently documented that nurses are at a higher risk for developing burnout syndrome due to the nature of their jobs. The high prevalence of burnout among nursing staff negatively affects healthcare delivery. Nurses experiencing burnout cannot provide quality care or actively participate in health promotion, and those experiencing emotional exhaustion are unlikely to be able to tend to the emotional needs of patients. Objective: The study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with burnout syndrome among nursing staff in Botswana referral general and psychiatric hospitals. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 249 nursing staff working in a referral psychiatric and general hospital. The job satisfaction survey, Maslach burnout inventory, and the OCEAN-20 were used to assess job satisfaction, burnout occurrence, and personality traits, respectively. A researcher-designed sociodemographic questionnaire was used to capture demographic data. Variables identified to be associated with burnout on bivariate analyses were entered into a regression analysis to determine to what extent these factors predicted burnout. Results: The prevalence of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment was 65.7%, 56.9%, and 54%, respectively. Being in a general hospital, neuroticism, poor operating condition, and poor communication predicted emotional exhaustion, R 2 = 28%, F (9, 229) = 9.937, p < 0.001. Depersonalization was predicted by neuroticism and poor operating conditions, R 2 = 17%, F (9, 229) = 4.709, p < 0.001. Reduced personal achievement was significantly predicted by the number of people in the household, time at the current hospital, agreeableness, and nature of work, R 2 = 21%, F (7, 203) = 7.875, p < 0.001. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the need for interventions to be developed to address burnout among nursing staff to optimize healthcare delivery.