A longitudinal study of the relationships between overload, social support, and burnout among nursing educators

The major purpose of this study was to examine the causal relationships between role overload, social support, and burnout among nursing educators over a period of time. Eighty-four nursing educators from eight campuses of a state university system completed a questionnaire twice, within a two-year interval. Data analyses consistently revealed the following: 1) Emotional exhaustion correlated significantly and positively with a demanding job, time pressure, and feelings of job inadequacy; 2) Burnout (i.e., emotional exhaustion, depersonalization of students, and a sense of decreased accomplishment) correlated significantly and negatively with social support from one's chairperson and peers. Predictor variables from the initial data set were regressed on the burnout data of two years later. The variable--job demands--was the strongest predictor of emotional exhaustion. Chairperson support was the strongest predictor of both depersonalization toward students and a person's sense of accomplishment two years later. The reported chronic exhaustion among educators in this study should be of concern. An awareness of the role of social support and overload as associated with burnout can help educators develop policies to assure peak performance on the job.