[Length of service as a nurse: continuing to burnout?]

Medical professionals are particularly exposed to stress. It is therefore important for them to learn how to cope with work stress and prevent burnout. This study was undertaken in a group of nurses from the province of Kuyavia and Pomerania to determine the extent to which strategies and attitudes required for work effectiveness change with length of service.

Four groups were formed according to seniority: up to 15 years, 16-20 years, 21-25 years, and more than 25 years at work. The survey instrument was the AVEM questionnaire consisting of scales which cover the following personality domains: commitment to service, resistance to stress, problem-solving strategies, emotional well-being at work. The results were analyzed basing on percentile norms for hospital staff.

It was found that career ambitions and offensive problem-solving strategies correlate with length of service. Nurses with the shortest length of service were least active in coping with problems. Competence increased with seniority. The distribution of results regarding career ambitions was greatest in group 3 (15-25 years at work). It seems plausible that on the one hand this finding can be attributed to seniority, on the other to different social roles undertaken concurrently.

Qualitative assessment of the present results demonstrated that commitment to service is important for nurses regardless of work experience. This study did not take into account the total personality structure as a modifying variable which determines the direction of personal development, including professional development, and integrates human activities.