Understanding the Lived Experience of Nurses: A Mixed-Methods Study of Resilience and Burnout

During COVID-19, organizations accommodated an increase in critically ill and isolated patients. Rapid changes to workload and the environment consumed daily operations, causing an unrelenting strain on nurses.

This study explored the lived experience of nurses during a pandemic event. Additional objectives were to determine the levels of individual resilience and burnout.

This cross-sectional survey used a convergent mixed-methods design. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to summarize and test differences in resiliency and burnout scores. Constant comparative analysis was used to analyze qualitative responses.

The Brief Resilient Coping Scale indicated medium resilient copers (mean, 15.7 [SD, 2.52]). There was no correlation between burnout and Brief Resilient Coping Scale (r = 0.186). Four themes were identified: (1) mental, physical, and emotional toll; (2) constant change; (3) perceptions of leadership; and (4) burnout.

No correlation was found between coping ability and burnout. Nursing burnout was associated with the ongoing tolls, constant change, and leadership challenges.