Burnout phenomenon and its occupational risk factors among Japanese hospital nurses

To identify and evaluate recent working conditions and job content of hospital nurses in Japan, as well as the prevalence of the burnout phenomenon and the occupational risk factors responsible for it, a questionnaire survey was carried out. The subjects consisted of 898 nurses and 255 municipal service workers as the control group. Working conditions and workload burdens were more severe among nurses than among the municipal workers. The burnout phenomenon among the nurses was characterized by emotional exhaustion as well as depersonalization. Moreover, the rate ratio and multivariate analyses indicated that a great variety of occupational factors, not only interpersonal relationships, but the general working conditions and specific physical or mental workloads influenced the burnout phenomenon as well. Therefore, in examining measures dealing with the burnout phenomenon among nurses, it is considered important to evaluate the occupational factors systematically and comprehensively.