Occupational burnout and stress in context of the attitude towards shiftwork and work satisfaction amongst nurses

Ewa Wilczek-Rużyczk , Irena Iskra-Golec

Abstract

An effort-reward imbalance during shiftwork may result in occupational burnout of nurses. The aim of this study is to analyze the relationships between occupational burnout and stress in context of the attitude towards shiftwork and work satisfaction. Material and methods: The study included 250 nurses aged between 22 and 54 with an average of 12 years work experience. The following research methods have been used: Burnout Inventory (MBI), Effort – Reward Imbalance, Attitude Towards Shiftwork Scale (ATSS) and Manual for Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire. Results: The effort invested in work turned out to be the only significant predictor of emotional exhaustion. It explained up to 31% of variance in emotional exhaustion in the group of both low work satisfaction and negative attitude towards shiftwork. Conclusion: The study showed that more attention needs to be paid to efforts invested in work, as well as rewards, and the balance between rewards and efforts in the group of low work satisfaction and of negative attitude towards the shiftwork system.