Lifestyle Behaviors and Burnout in Undergraduate Nursing Students: A National Cross-Sectional Study
Danielle J Durant1, Claudia Guerrazzi-Young, Normajean Colby
1About the Authorsdurantda@musc.eduDanielle J. Durant, PhD, MS, MBA, is associate professor and division director, Department of Healthcare Leadership and Management, College of Health Professions, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina and a recent a graduate, Marcus Institute of Integrative Health, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Claudia Guerrazzi-Young, PhD, MS, is associate professor, Jack C. Massey College of Business, Belmont University, Nashville, Tennessee. Normajean Colby, PhD, RN, is an associate professor, School of Nursing, Widener University, Chester, Pennsylvania. Faith Chapman, MS, RN, is assistant nurse manager, Medical Surgical Department, Central Vermont Medical Center-University of Vermont Health, and former lecturer, School of Nursing, Norwich University, Northfield, Vermont. Jonah S. Dunn, RN, is an undergraduate student, State University of New York, Potsdam, New York. The authors thank Cathy Harrel, Leigh Shaver, Stephanie Smith, and Carmen Hernandez, clinical professors at the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Texas A&M University, for providing access to their courses for the purposes of data collection.
Background:
Burnout, characterized by exhaustion, cynicism, and low professional efficacy, is the primary cause of nurse turnover. Healthy behaviors, which vary by geographic region, may reduce burnout.
Method:
Undergraduate nursing students in Northern (n = 257) and Southern (n = 261) programs were surveyed. Multivariate linear regression and dominance analyses were conducted.
Results:
Expression of burnout did not differ across regions. Social support, associated with reduced cynicism (p = .006) and greater efficacy (p < .001), was the highest-ranking predictor of exhaustion, cynicism, and efficacy. Physical activity was associated with reduced exhaustion (p = .027). Healthy diet (p = .035) and regular spiritual practice (p = .044) were associated with increased efficacy.
Conclusion:
Physical activity, social support, a healthy diet, and spiritual practice may prevent burnout in nursing students. Programs that build healthy habits in students may reduce their experience of burnout.
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