Discriminating low-, medium- and high-burnout nurses: Role of organisational and patient-related factors

To discriminate low/medium/high burnout in nurses by work and patient-related indicators and explore what factors characterize these categories best.

Cross-sectional, online survey with a representative sample of nurses. Measures assessed burnout, intragroup conflict, job insecurity, overt aggression and impact of patient aggression on nurses.

Top nurse managers experienced more burnout than middle managers or staff, middle managers also reported greater burnout than staff. Those who had never suffered aggression experienced greater burnout but less intragroup conflict and job insecurity. Staff differed on job insecurity from top and midlevel managers. The first discriminant function differentiated high burnout from medium and low; this function was characterized by exhaustion, aggression and intragroup conflict. The second function differentiated medium burnout from others; job insecurity, years worked, over aggression and overtime dominated this function.

Burnout affects managers and staff differently; top managers may be more susceptible to burnout than reported before. Low, medium and high burnout groups require tailored interventions because of their different characteristics.

In the future, burnout assessment should focus on both organisational and care related factors. Determining levels of burnout will guide managers to improve the right aspects of practice and work environment.