Students' Online Burnout, Fatigue Situations and Associated Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study

This study was planned to determine online burnout, fatigue states of students and the associated factors.

This study was designed as a cross-sectional type of research. The study is of a quantitative type.

The universe of this study consisted of all 890 students studying in the Department of Nursing and Nutrition Dietetics at the Faculty of Health Sciences in the spring semester of the 2023-2024 academic year at a university in the east of Türkiye. The sample of the study consisted of 570 students studying in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th grades. The 'Introductory Information Form' was used to collect data, and the 'Zoom Burnout and Fatigue Scale' was used to determine the students' online burnout and fatigue status. Percentage, mean, standard deviation, t-test in independent groups, variance (ANOVA) and Pearson correlation analysis were used in the analysis of data.

The mean age of the students included in the study was determined to be 21.77 ± 2.01; 40.9% were sophomores. It was determined that the students received 2.86 ± 1.07 points from the total scale. The maximum score obtained from the scale is 5. It was determined that there was a significant difference between the mean scores of the scale and its sub-dimensions according to the difficulty of studying with distance education compared with studying with face-to-face education, difficulty in accessing information sources with distance education and difficulty in using information technologies (p < 0.05).

As a result, students are showing average levels of the Zoom Burnout and Fatigue. In line with these findings, it can be suggested that when delivering theoretical courses via distance education, active learning methods should be used, students' access to course materials should be facilitated and their participation should be supported or encouraged.

Since nursing and dietetics are hands-on profession, practices must take place in a hospital setting and face-to-face. Online education should be used as a supplementary tool. Students should apply the online education they receive to their practice.

Participants provided data but were not involved in the study's design, outcome measures or conduct.