CARIAGA, Deevon M.

4NUR-2

Burnout Syndrome Indices in Greek Intensive Care Nursing Personnel by Maria N.K. Karanikola, PhD, MSc, RN

I. Introduction Working in an intensive unit is a big challenge for nursing personnel. Nurses were exposed to various situations which require extra energy in monitoring critically ill patients. This further requires them to have the knowledge and expertise in providing nursing care to these kinds of clients. as reported in this study, , there were a shortage of registered nurses in Greece and mostly nursing aides do the most work. it is also stated in the study that the ICU unit is a stressful place to work. the objectives of this study was to investigate the prevalence and intensity of burnout syndrome in Greek ICU nursing personnel and any potential association with professional satisfaction, as well as with demographic, educational and vocational characteristics.

II Methodology The research design utilized in this study was descriptive co relational. The questionnaires used were paired with a consent form with an explanatory note that explained the aim of the study, the voluntary nature of the participation and guaranteed confidentiality and anonymity. The target population was registered Bachelor of Science and associate degree nurses, as well as assistant nurses employed in ICUs of adult general hospitals in the public or private sector in Athens, Greece. The final sample consisted of 152 randomly selected respondents from 5 public and 3 private hospitals. Inclusion criteria were a graduate of an at least 2-year educational program in nursing/ nurseassistant studies, a minimum of 6months work experience in the intensive care, competence in Greek Language.

III. Summary There was moderate depersonalization level, moderate level of emotional exhaustion, low perception of personal accomplishments. More than 25% of participants mentioned symptoms of severe professional burnout.

With the level of education, respondents with a degree in Master of Science in Nursing had higher levels of depersonalization than those with lesser degrees as compared with respondents with no post graduate preparation. Moreover, respondents working in private hospitals exhibited higher levels of perceived professional accomplishments, lower levels of emotional exhaustion and a tendency towards less depersonalization compared with respondents working in the public sector. Furthermore, respondents working in private hospitals depersonalization, emotional exhaustion, were found highest among staff nurses than any other nursing personnel.

IV. SIGNIFICANCE

A. Education

This study significantly stresses the importance of the basic foundation in nursing education of treating patients as humans and not as merely objects to be monitored. This furthers entails nurses to educate themselves of managing their problems inside and outside their stressful work so as to render their best nursing care possible.

B. Research

In the field of research, this was a confirmation of the previous researches made about the relationship of clinical work of the nurse and there clinical skills and emotion, but the research article has limitations example was that the study was limited only to metropolitan hospitals excusing those in the rural areas.

C. Practice

Many staff nurses become callous to the feelings of their patients mostly because of the routinary procedures inside the ward or in the ICU. This leads to depersonalization and subsequent treatment of clients as merely objects and not as humans anymore. By this research, it is correlated that a nurse must be psychologically balanced in spite of stressors in the ICU for him/ her to render nursing care humanely.