Abstract
Objectives: The objective of this study is to determine relationships between work life balance (WLB) and burnout of hospital nurses.
Methods: A self-rating questionnaire survey was conducted with 1,030 nurses who were working in five general hospitals. We selected one hospital from each of five management types; national medical institutions, public medical institutions, social insurance organizations, medical corporations, and general private companies. The questionnaire devoted 22 items to burnout (Japanese version of MBI-HSS) and 24 to demographic details and WLB indexes.
Results: Valid responses were obtained from 798 subjects (77.5%). The mean age was 33.8±8.1 years, and the average total scores of WLB and burnout were 10.2 and 10.9, respectively. The total score for WLB of nurses in the hospital managed by a private company was significantly higher than the other four (p<0.01). Results from hierarchal multiple linear regression analysis showed significant relationships between burnout and the following factors: occupation type, overtime, having children or not, awareness of WLB, switching on and off working hours, working with a clear purpose, having persons with whom they can consult, and WLB.
Conclusion: The results of the analysis by management type of hospital show that hospitals operated by companies have a good potential to realize WLB. It was also suggested that nurse burnout can be prevented by switching between working and off-work hours, making the effort with a clear purpose, and aiming to improve the level of WLB.
