ABSTRACT
Objective To explore the status quo and the correlation of professional practice environment and job burnout in head nurses. Methods Totally 646 head nurses from city state hospitals of Hunan Province was selected by cluster sampling method. Participants were investigated by using the Chinese Version of Profession Practice Environment Scale for Head Nurses and Maslach Burnout Inventory. Results The professional environment score was 215.95±22.81, which was in the moderate level. The score of emotional exhaustion (EE) in head nurses was 24.56 ± 10.64, depersonalization (DP) was 8.92 ± 4.17 and personal accomplishment (PA) was 35.55±13.08, all stating moderate burnout. Meanwhile, the scores of EE and DP were negatively correlated with professional practice environment (r=-0.350--0.161, P≤0.01), while the PA was positively correlated with professional practice environment (r=0.078- 0.271, P≤0.01). Conclusions Professional practice environment in head nurses is correlated with job burnout. Hospital leaders should pay more attention to head nurses′professional practice environment to decrease job burnout in head nurses.