The relationship of burnout, use of coping strategies and curricular program of registered nurses

This study examined the relationships of nursing curricular program, burnout, and use of coping strategies among 150 randomly selected staff nurses from four hospitals. The instruments used were the frequency dimension of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (Maslach & Jackson, 1981) and the Ways of Coping (Revised) (Folkman & Lazarus, 1985). Discriminant analysis demonstrated that (a) diploma graduates differed from associate-degree graduates in their greater experience of Emotional Exhaustion (p less than .05) and (b) baccalaureate-degree graduates differed from associate-degree graduates in their greater use of Planful Problem Solving and Confronting Coping (p less than .05). Recommendations include additional research to discover relevant factors for the greater experience of Emotional Exhaustion among diploma graduates. If related to perceptions of limited career mobility due to the lack of a baccalaureate degree, expansion of educational opportunities is indicated. Another recommendation is curricular incorporation of content on burnout and coping.