Free Essay Example: Causes of Nurse Burnout

A widespread phenomenon of nurse burnout is majorly characterized by a decrease in nurses' energy and motivation. These are due to a sense of frustration, emotional stress, and as a result, a reduction in productivity at the workplace. The leading causes of nurse burnout are as a result of work-related situations. Additionally, leader empowerment behaviors are significantly associated with nurse burnout issues and also nurse demographic characteristics. All these indicate nurse burnout as physical, emotional, and mental stress subjected to nurses. Consequently, it affects work performance and patients' well-being (Cherry et al., 2016).

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Working Hours of Nurses

According to a study carried out in early 2019 by the national nurses united organization, more than half the number of nurses were reported to be affected by emotional exhaustion. These were a result of nurses working for more than twelve hours a day, unlike the recommended time of eight hours maximum working hours. The role of a nurse diversifies from the waiting room to the bedside of admitted patients (Mudalla et al., 2017). These nurses are always busy during the entire time since they are in the frontline of providing direct care to patients and providing medical education to new ones. As a result, these responsibilities result in nursing burnout.

Tackling Many Different Roles

The same nurse tackling many various tasks was described as one of the significant causes of nurse burnout by a study conducted in the United States of America. These undermined the fact of keeping the patient's priority by investing in the well-being of each patient, relying on nurses. Regrettably, as nurses commit to the well-being of patients, their welfare is left at stake (Potter et al. 2017). The welfare of patients results in nurses having many roles to accomplish, creating time for available patients.

Teamwork Pressures

Pressures associated with nurses working together as a group was, seen as among the leading causes of burnout. Working together may involve poor communication among group members, tension, and conflicts among them. These are eventually followed by stressors associated with the circumstances of the job to meet employers' demands and satisfaction of work done (de Oliviera et al., 2019).

Dangers and Solutions to Nursing Burnout

Generally, nurse burnout reduces motivation, and increases errors at work, reducing efficiency, and work quality. Additionally, it can lead to increased infection rates affecting the patient's care process. Nurses' well-being can be achieved through the introduction of resilience training initiatives, meditation practices, and the application of phycological support to nurses (Writers 2019). When solution measures are followed, errors that tend to compromise the well-being of patients and nurses will not be experienced.

References.

Cherry, B., & Jacob, S. R. (2016). Contemporary nursing: Issues, trends, & management. Elsevier Health Sciences.

De Oliveira, S. M., de Alcantara Sousa, L. V., Vieira Gadelha, M., & do Nascimento, V.B. (2019). Prevention actions of burnout syndrome in nurses: an integrating literature review. Clinical practice and epidemiology in mental health: CP & EMH, 15, 64-73. doi:10.2174/1745017901915010064

Mudallal, R. H., Othman, W. A. M., & Al Hassan, N. F. (2017). Nurses' burnout: the influence of leader empowering behaviors, work conditions, and demographic traits. INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing, 54, 0046958017724944.

Potter, P.A., Perry, A.G., Stockert, P., & Hall, A. (2017). Fundamentals of nursing. (9th ed.) St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.

Writers, S. (2019). Avoiding burnout as a Nurse | Nursing.org. Retrieved 22 February 2020, from https://www.nursing.org/resources/nurse-burnout/