NUI Galway study to research burnout among nurses

A national study at NUI Galway will examine how burnout is affecting nurses.

The study involving up to 1,000 nurses is particularly focusing on how burnout can impact on the mental well-being of nurses and their capacity to treat and care for the over 65s.

Lead researcher Natasha Fitzgerald-Yau, a psychologist in clinical training at the School of Psychology in NUIG, says burnout is characterised by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and a reduced sense of personal accomplishment.

“The general consensus among researchers is that emotional exhaustion seems to be the core dimension of burnout. It is not surprising then that burnout is particularly higher for those working in the health care profession and that includes medical staff, support workers, and carers,” she explained.

“Interestingly what the studies are showing all over the world is that nurses have the highest levels of burnout compared to other health care professionals. Our national research study hopes to examine the extent to which burnout is a problem for nurses working in Ireland in terms of its prevalence and its association with a range of psychological outcomes for staff.

The study will examine how stress affects people’s capacity to mentalise.

“Mentalising means being aware of what is going on in our own minds, that is our thoughts, feelings, intentions, etc., and in other people’s minds. It is the attachment processes between staff and patients that helps to foster and maintain the capacity to mentalise,” she explains.

“When staff are feeling over-pressurised, this attachment relationship can become disrupted or fail to develop. If the ability to mentalise gets compromised, then this may explain why both patients and staff alike report feeling objectified within the healthcare system.”

A recent survey in 2016 of nursing staff across 200 hospitals in Belgium, England, Finland, Ireland, Spain and Switzerland found that nearly a third showed signs of burnout. A similar proportion were dissatisfied with their job.

Another study last October based on interviews with nurses in three emergency departments across Ireland revealed that many leave the profession because of stress.

They feel they are “often forced to engage in a sliding scale of care resulting in reduced dignity for patients”.

They pointed to older patients being particular at risk as they were less critical and are less likely to complain.

“Without a doubt, older age patients are a vulnerable group and are at greater risk of fragmented care in hospitals. The number of patients over the age of 65 accessing medical services will continue to increase as the population ages,” Natasha stated.

“Studies have shown that the length of time an individual spends in hospital is positively correlated to age. The longer a person remains in hospital, the more exposed they become to risk of physical and/or mental deterioration as a result of iatrogenic illness or injury.

“Older patients are more like to be readmitted into hospital than younger patients shortly after being discharged. This national study will help identify some of the challenges which hospitals face in adjusting to a growing older population.”

She believes the research will also support recommendations for the development of policies and intervention approaches to address this critical area.

“In the context of austerity measures leading to cuts in spending on public health services in Ireland, it is particularly important for policymakers and managers to have good evidence on which to base decisions on nurses working experience, working environment and further training.”

Nurses can participate in the research by visiting the survey link at http://svy.mk/2j3UtGu.