Burnout in Nursing: Institutional and Societal Impact in the Era of COVID-19

Abstract

There have been numerous studies indicating high levels of burnout in nurses during and since the SARS – CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic (Caruso et al., 2021; Wei et al., 2022). This exploratory online survey of hospital nurses aimed to examine how nurses’ perception of institutional emotional support, institutional instrumental support and societal perception of nurses’ value changed from the active phase of the pandemic to the post pandemic era. This study assesses how the perceived changes are associated with present burnout scores. Nurse participants (n=312) were asked to complete two burnout scales, the Maslach Burnout Inventory – Health Science Survey and the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory. Additionally, they were asked to complete the Public and Institutional Perception Survey (PIPS), which is a non-validated instrument created by this researcher to evaluate nurses’ perception of societal value, institutional emotional support, and instrumental support both during the active phase of the pandemic and “post” pandemic. Results confirm elevated levels of burnout experienced in hospital nurses in the United States. Unexpectedly, nurses perceive an increase in societal valuing in the post pandemic era compared to the active phase of the pandemic. This increase is associated with a decrease in all three subscales of burnout on the MBI-HSS. Nurses perceived a decrease in both emotional and instrumental support provided by their institutions. The decrease in institutional instrumental support was associated with an increase in emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. Additionally, nurses perceive high levels of present workload which are associated with emotional exhaustion as well as a lack of perceived personal achievement. The results of this study emphasize the importance of the role of both perceived societal and institutional support plays in burnout for hospital working nurses during this post pandemic era. In order to support nurses effectively, it is suggested that there be further research exploring specific interventions that may be useful now, as well as when future epidemics or pandemics occur.