TITLE:
Burnout and Its Association with Working Conditions among Greek Hospital Nurses in a Time of Financial Crisis
AUTHORS:
Asterios Skefales, Sotirios Plakas, Georgia Fouka, Maria Goni, Maria Vassiliadou, Joanna-Despoina Bergiannaki
KEYWORDS:
Burnout, Austerity, Nurse Practice Environment, Maslach Burnout Inventory
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Nursing,
Vol.4 No.7,
June
20,
2014
ABSTRACT:
The recent global economic recession has affected nursing working
conditions in terms of salary reductions, increased workload and staff
shortages. Poor nursing working conditions are associated with higher levels of
burnout. However in Greece this association has not yet been studied. The aim
of this study was to explore financial crisis related changes in nurses’
working conditions and their associations with burnout. A cross-sectional
quantitative survey was conducted and data were collected through self-reported
questionnaires from 299 Greek nurses from two Public Hospitals in 2012.
Multiple linear regression analyses were used in order to find independent
factors associated with burnout. The results showed that Greek nurses had high
levels of burnout. Satisfaction from the job, quality of care and feeling
equivalent with other professionals were independent predictors of lower
emotional exhaustion. Workload increase and willingness to change career and
work department were independent predictors of higher emotional exhaustion. Job
satisfaction and satisfaction from care quality were independent predictors of
lower depersonalization. Changes in working relationships and willingness to
change career were independent predictors of higher depersonalization. Higher
personal accomplishments were independently associated with more years in nursing,
satisfaction from the salary prior to reductions, better quality of care,
feeling suitable for the job and being anxious about future career. Influence
on nurse efficiency by income reduction was an independent predictor of lower
personal accomplishments. In conclusion, Greek nurses were suffering from high
levels of burnout which was independently associated with crisis related
working conditions. Interventions are needed in order to reduce the burden of
burnout among Greek nurses.