Burnout amongst Nurses in Cancer Wards: Impact of Nursing Professionalism, Perfectionism, and Resilience

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the relationship among nursing professionalism, perfectionism, resilience, and burnout, amongst nurses in cancer wards, and to further identify factors influencing burnout. METHODS: Conducted in June 2018, this descriptive cross-sectional study included 157 cancer wards nurses. The survey employed structured questionnaires including the Koreannursing Professional Value Scale, Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, Dispositional Resilience Scale-15, and burnout subscale of the Professional Quality of Life Scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and entered multiple regression. RESULTS: The total burnout score was 31.20±4.87, out of a maximum of 50. Nursing professionalism (r =−.40, p < .001) and resilience (r=−.68, p < .001) showed a negative correlation with burnout, while socially-oriented perfectionism showed a positive correlation with burnout (r=.19, p=.016). Entered multiple regression revealed that 49.3% of the total variance in burnout was the consequence of nursing professionalism and resilience. CONCLUSION: Resilience had the largest effect on burnout, followed by nursing professionalism. We believe that the results of this study provide basic data for developing nursing intervention programs aimed at reducing burnout amongst nurses in cancer wards.