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Burnout contagion among intensive care nurses
Arnold B Bakker1, Pascale M Le Blanc, Wilmar B Schaufeli
1Department of Social and Organizational Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands. a.bakker@fss.uu.nl
Journal of Advanced Nursing
|July 22, 2005
Summary
Burnout can spread between nurses in intensive care units. This study found that perceived burnout among colleagues significantly predicts individual and unit-level burnout, even more than organizational stressors.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Psychology
- Nursing
Background:
- Burnout is a long-standing issue in intensive care units (ICUs).
- Previous research focused on organizational factors like workload and demands.
- This study explored the contagion of burnout between nurses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if burnout is contagious among intensive care unit (ICU) nurses.
- To determine if perceived burnout among colleagues predicts individual burnout.
Main Methods:
- A survey was administered to 1849 ICU nurses across 80 units in 12 European countries.
- Nurses reported burnout prevalence among colleagues and completed burnout scales.
- Multilevel analyses examined individual and unit-level burnout predictors.
Main Results:
- Significant agreement (consensus) exists within ICUs regarding burnout prevalence.
- Perceived burnout among colleagues was a significant predictor of individual and unit-level burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, reduced personal accomplishment).
- Colleague burnout was a stronger predictor than organizational stressors in the demand-control model.
Conclusions:
- Burnout is contagious and can spread from nurse to nurse.
- Interpersonal dynamics play a crucial role in ICU nurse burnout.
- Interventions addressing social contagion may be necessary for burnout prevention.