Relationships Between Role Performance and Burnout Among Nurses Engaged in Support of Novice Nurses

Abstract

Purpose : This study aims to identify relationships between role performance and burnout among nurses engaged in support of novice nurses.

Methods : We surveyed nurses, except novice nurses, working at five hospitals with 200 to 400 beds, which were related to the A medical university in the Kanto region. Among these we selected nurses engaged in support of novice nurses for a cross-sectional study using a self-rated anonymous questionnaire. Question items included personal factors, environmental factors, organization, education, coping behaviors, burnout (Japanese version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey), and performance in the role of supporting novice nurses (Self-evaluation Scale of Preceptor Role Performance for New Graduate Nurses).

Results : Of the 745 (73.9%) responses 511 (50.7%) were valid. The result of a multiple regression analysis showed that factors related to burnout were : among personal factors, work and life balance, presence of children, placement wishes, workplace, and self-assertion ; among environmental factors, workload and salary satisfaction ; among coping behaviors, persons to consult with ; among organization and education, finding meaning in novice nurse education, self-confidence in novice nurse education, and rapport with novice nurses ; and among role performance in supporting novices, providing psychological support that encourages novice nurses to continue work.

Conclusion : The findings suggested that it may be possible to prevent burnout by developing support measures that enable nurses engaged in the support of novice nurses to maintain work and life balance, as well as training and education programs to provide psychological support that encourages novice nurses to continue their work.