Burnout and the nursing profession

The nursing profession is extremely stressful. Career nurses are at risk of burnout from long-term exposure to overwhelming demands. The process of burnout creates serious consequences for both employees and their organizations. The employee with burnout can experience serious emotional and physical problems that can potentially lower productivity. Although the process of burnout has been examined, little has been done to determine the organizational and individual features that may distinguish between low, moderate, and high levels of burnout. This article attempts to explain the process of burnout, different levels of burnout, and organizational and attitudinal factors that may affect burnout. If specific job-related factors increase the likelihood of burnout, then the modification of these factors might actually decrease the incidence of burnout.