Explanatory Models of Burnout Diagnosis Based on Personality Factors in Primary Care Nurses

Burnout in the primary care service takes place when there is a high level of interaction between nurses and patients. Explanatory models based on psychological and personality related variables provide an approximation to level changes in the three dimensions of the burnout syndrome. A categorical-response ordinal logistic regression model, based on a quantitative, crosscutting, multicentre, descriptive study with 242 primary care nurses in the Andalusian Health Service in Granada (Spain) is performed for each dimension. The three models included all the variables related to personality. The risk factor friendliness was significant at population level for the three dimensions, whilst openness was never significant. Neuroticism was significant in the models related to emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, whilst responsibility was significant for the models referred to depersonalization and personal accomplishment dimensions. Finally, extraversion was also significant in the emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment dimensions. The analysis performed provides useful information, making more readily the diagnosis and evolution of the burnout syndrome in this collective.