Multidimensional perspectives on nurse burnout in China: a cross-sectional study of subgroups and predictors

(2024) 23:941 Wang et al. BMC Nursing https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-024-02622-4 BMC Nursing Open Access RESEARCH Multidimensional perspectives on nurse burnout in China: a cross‑sectional study of subgroups and predictors Yuecong Wang1*, Xin Wang2, Xuejing Li3 and Surong Wen3 Abstract Background Burnout is a state of physical and mental exhaustion triggered by long-term work stress, which is manifested mainly as emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a decreased sense of accomplishment. Among them, emotional exhaustion is its core feature, which often leads to a significant decrease in an individual’s enthusiasm for work. Owing to the high intensity of the work environment and the special requirements of emotional labor, the nursing community is more vulnerable to burnout. This burnout not only affects the quality of care but also significantly increases nurses’ willingness to leave their jobs. Objectives This study aimed to identify burnout subgroups among Chinese nurses and explore the predictors of each subgroup. Design A cross-sectional study. Methods A total of 500 nurses were recruited for this study via convenience sampling, of whom 470 completed the survey. Nurses’ burnout subgroups were identified through latent profile analysis of 15 items on the Burnout Scale. Relationships between subgroups and sociodemographic variables were subsequently explored via one-way ANOVA, chi-square tests, and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Results Three burnout subgroups were identified: low depersonalization with low achievement burnout (26.2%, n = 123), overall moderate burnout (52.1%, n = 245), and high emotional exhaustion with low achievement burnout (21.7%, n = 102). The results of multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that age, years of working experience, marital status, education level, and number of night shifts per month were significant predictors of different burnout subgroups among nurses. Conclusion This study applied latent profile analysis to explore the subgroups of burnout among Chinese nurses, and the results revealed the diversity of burnout and provided a new perspective for future nursing research. Continued attention to the multifaceted factors affecting burnout and its dynamic changes is recommended to better understand and address the challenges facing the nursing profession. Keywords Nurse, Burnout, Subgroups, Predictors, Latent profile analysis *Correspondence: Yuecong Wang Full list of author information is available at the end of the article © The Author(s) 2024. 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To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/. Wang et al. BMC Nursing (2024) 23:941 Background Burnout is a state of physical and mental exhaustion caused by an individual’s prolonged exposure to work stress [1]. Maslach suggested [2] that burnout consists of three main dimensions: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a diminished sense of accomplishment. Among them, emotional exhaustion is the core feature of burnout. It manifests as individuals experiencing excessive exhaustion and strain and a lack of enthusiasm for their work, which is usually the most obvious symptom. Depersonalization is manifested by individuals actively distancing themselves from the people they work with and displaying an attitude of indifference and neglect. In addition, diminished personal accomplishment refers to a decrease in an individual’s perception of his or her abilities and accomplishments at work, which leads to a negative evaluation of himself or herself [3]. Burnout is particularly prominent in the nurse population, which stems from the high-intensity work environment and the demands of emotional labor that make nurses more susceptible to this state [4, 5]. As the nursing profession continues to evolve, nurse burnout has become an urgent public health problem worldwide [6]. Studies have shown significant differences in the prevalence of burnout among nurses in different countries. A meta-analysis [7] revealed that the global prevalence of nurse burnout is 30%. Specifically, a study by Rezaei [8] reported that the prevalence of burnout among Iranian nurses was 36%. In the United States, the overall prevalence of nurse burnout is 31.5% [9]. In contrast, the overall prevalence of nurse burnout in China is as high as 64.5%, of which the prevalence of severe burnout is 12.5% [10]. This burnout not only causes significant psychological and physical health problems for individual nurses, such as anxiety, depression, and insomnia but also negatively affects the quality of care and patient satisfaction. According to findings from relevant studies in China [11, 12], burned-out nurses are more likely to make medical errors, leading to poor patient outcomes and decreased satisfaction. In addition, a nurse population with high burnout rates also increases the operational costs of the healthcare system, such as increased nursing staff turnover, leading to increased recruitment and training costs, affecting overall healthcare efficiency and quality. Moreover, the World Health Organization (WHO) noted in 2020 [13] that the global shortage of nurses was approximately 5.9 million, and most nurses were concentrated in low-income countries. Considering the profound impact of burnout on the physical and mental health of nurses and the quality of care, it is particularly important to gain an in-depth understanding of the current situation of nursing burnout. This will help draw more attention from Page 2 of 12 all sectors of society to the mental health and working conditions of nurses. Studies have shown that the causes of nurse burnout can be summarized as individual and organizational factors [14]. Individual factors include age, gender, marital status, education level, and personality traits [14–16], whereas organizational factors cover a wide range of aspects, such as the hospital’s work environment, staffing, interpersonal relationships, organizational support, and management policies [8, 17]. Moosavian Hiaq no (...truncated)