Exploring the bidirectional relationship between job burnout and empathy in nurses: A longitudinal study

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Psychology
• Occupational Health

Background:

• Job burnout is a significant concern among healthcare professionals.
• Empathy is a critical component of effective nursing care.
• Understanding the interplay between burnout and empathy is vital for nurse well-being and patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the bidirectional relationship between job burnout and empathy in a cohort of Chinese nurses.
• To examine how different burnout trajectories (persistent, discontinued, new-onset) relate to empathy levels.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal study design with assessments in 2020 (T1) and 2022 (T2).
• Participants: 1090 nurses assessed at both time points.
• Measures: Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI)-Human Services Survey and Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Professionals.

Main Results:

• 50.6% of nurses experienced job burnout.
• Nurses without burnout, or with discontinued or newly developed burnout, showed higher empathy than those with persistent burnout.
• A bidirectional negative association was found between empathy and job burnout, particularly concerning depersonalization and low personal accomplishment.
• Emotional exhaustion predicted reduced empathy, but empathy did not predict emotional exhaustion.

Conclusions:

• A significant bidirectional negative relationship exists between empathy and job burnout, especially impacting depersonalization and personal accomplishment.
• Interventions addressing both burnout and empathy are essential for nursing practice.
• Mitigating burnout can positively influence empathetic behaviors among nurses.