A psychometric evaluation of the Maslach Burnout Inventory in nurse practitioners

Hawaii faces a critical shortage of health care providers, underscoring the vital role of nurse practitioners (NPs) in ensuring access to quality care. However, limited research exists on burnout and effective mitigation strategies in Hawaii NPs.

This study examined the psychometric properties of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) among Hawaii NPs, with a focus on dimensionality, internal consistency reliability, and criterion validity.

Survey data from 143 NPs in a large Hawaii health system were analyzed. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) assessed dimensionality. An adapted 17-item MBI model was developed, and reliability was evaluated using Cronbach alpha. Analysis of variance tested demographic associations, and correlations with the Areas of Worklife Scale (AWS) assessed criterion validity.

Pairwise correlations were acceptable, and the EFA resulted in an adapted model containing 17 items (7 for Emotional Exhaustion, 5 for Personal Accomplishment, and 5 for Depersonalization). The adapted MBI and its three factors showed good reliability; gender showed significant associations, and factors were significantly correlated with AWS domains as anticipated.

The adapted MBI demonstrated strong reliability and meaningful correlations with AWS domains. Gender differences were significantly associated with burnout. These findings contribute to the growing body of research on the MBI's performance in diverse and understudied populations.

Psychometric analysis of the adapted MBI among NPs in Hawaii demonstrated acceptable psychometric properties, supporting its suitability for assessing burnout in this population. Future research is recommended to further examine the MBI's psychometric performance, and validations studies are needed to test the adapted model.