Academic burnout in nursing students: An explanatory sequential design.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Student Well-being
• Psychology of Learning

Background:

• Student burnout negatively impacts academic and professional trajectories.
• Existing research inadequately defines academic burnout in nursing students.
• Understanding burnout is crucial for supporting nursing student success.

Purpose of the Study:

• To elucidate the concept of academic burnout among nursing students.
• To identify factors contributing to burnout in this population.
• To explore the dimensions of burnout experienced by nursing students.

Main Methods:

• An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was employed.
• Quantitative data collected from 91 nursing students using the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey.
• Qualitative data gathered through interviews with 13 students, 1 nurse, and 1 instructor, analyzed via directed content analysis.

Main Results:

• Burnout scores varied significantly across different academic semesters (p=.02).
• Qualitative findings corroborated quantitative results, highlighting semester-based differences.
• A fourth dimension of burnout, 'incompatible learning style,' was identified alongside exhaustion, cynicism, and inadequacy.

Conclusions:

• Academic burnout in nursing students is influenced by academic progression and learning compatibility.
• The identified fourth dimension, incompatible learning style, offers new insights into student burnout.
• Findings suggest a need for tailored interventions addressing learning styles to mitigate nursing student burnout.