Relationship between assertiveness and burnout among nurse managers

Area of Science:

• Nursing Management
• Occupational Health
• Psychology

Background:

• Nurse managers in university hospitals face significant occupational stress.
• Burnout is a prevalent issue among healthcare professionals, impacting patient care and retention.
• Understanding factors that mitigate burnout is crucial for supporting nurse managers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between assertiveness and burnout among nurse managers.
• To identify potential protective factors against burnout in this population.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 172 nurse managers from three university hospitals.
• Utilized the Japanese version of the Rathus Assertiveness Schedule (J-RAS) and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI).
• Burnout was defined as having the highest tertile score on the MBI.

Main Results:

• Nurse managers experiencing burnout had significantly lower assertiveness scores (mean J-RAS: -14.3) compared to non-burnout group (mean J-RAS: -3.3).
• A significant inverse correlation was found between total MBI score and J-RAS score (R = -0.30, P < 0.01).
• Increased assertiveness (10-point J-RAS increase) was associated with a 26% reduced risk of burnout; higher satisfaction with care provision reduced risk by 60%.

Conclusions:

• Assertiveness is a key factor in preventing burnout among Japanese nurse managers.
• Enhancing nurse managers' assertiveness and satisfaction with their care provision can be effective burnout prevention strategies.
• Interventions aimed at increasing assertiveness may improve well-being and reduce burnout in nursing leadership.