Burnout Syndrome among General Hospital Nurses in Recife

Abstract

This descriptive, cross sectional, census study identified the occurrence of Burnout and some associated factors among nurses working in obstetrics & gynecology and pediatric care at a general tertiary hospital in Recife. Sixty-three nurses (98.4%) answered a self-administered questionnaire (sociodemographic aspects, working conditions, and Maslach Burnout Inventory). Chi-square was used in the analysis with a 95% confidence level. Most participants were female (92.1%), with up to five years in the career (68.2%), 52.5% in pediatric area. High levels of emotional stress (49.2%) and depersonalization (27.0%) were identified, as well as low professional fulfillment (4.8%), and 4.7% presented Burnout. The following factors wee associated: high levels of emotional stress and often/always perform tasks very quickly (p=0.039) and receiving a salary incompatible to the effort employed (p=0.016); high levels of depersonalization and with up to five years in this career (p=0.010) and often/always perform tasks very quickly (p=0.009). For 19.0%, at least two of the three dimensions pointed to high propensity to the syndrome.