Sleep and Professional Burnout in Nurses, Nursing Technicians, and Nursing Assistants During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Background The COVID-19 pandemic may trigger sleep disorders and burnout in nursing professionals. Purpose This study was designed to describe the occurrence of sleep disorders and burnout in a nursing team during the COVID-19 pandemic and to identify the associated factors. Methods A cross-sectional approach was used. The questionnaire was administered via the Internet. All of the participants were nursing professionals who had provided care during the COVID-19 pandemic, and data were collected between June and August 2020. Sociodemographic and work characterization instruments, the Jenkins Sleep Scale, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory were used. Results Five hundred seventy-two nursing professionals (nurses, nursing technicians, and nursing assistants) responded. Slightly over one quarter (26.4%) presented a sleep disorder, and 17.3% presented burnout. Professional category was a factor found to be associated with having a sleep disorder. Moreover, a lower prevalence both of disorders and of starting to use sleep medication was found among nurses than nursing assistants. Moreover, an association was found between having a high level of emotional exhaustion burnout and being a nursing technician, having a higher number of patients needing care, and starting to use sleep medication. The level of burnout related to depersonalization was significantly higher for nursing assistants, those with a weekly workload of 50 hours or more, and those starting to use sleep medication. Furthermore, burnout related to personal accomplishment was significantly higher in those starting to use sleep medication. Among the participants with sleep disorders, according to Jenkins Sleep Scale results, all of the participants presented a high or moderate level of emotional exhaustion and a high level of burnout related to personal accomplishment. Conclusions/Implications for Practice The findings indicate that the incidence of sleep disorders and burnout were high among nursing professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic and mainly related with starting to use sleep medication. The results demonstrate the importance of detecting and assessing the frequency of sleep disorders and professional exhaustion. Interventions that aim to improve sleep quality and working conditions for these professionals should be developed.

Disruption to diabetes and hypertension care during the COVID-19 pandemic in Latin America and the Caribbean and mitigation approaches: A Scoping Review

“…29 Nursing assistants and other frontline workers were disproportionately impacted compared to physicians and nurses. 30–32 Contributing factors included lack of personal protective equipment (PPE), increased patient volume due to COVID-19, disruptions to workflow, social isolation, and perception of insufficient organizational and governmental support. 22,33–37 A Colombian study reported that workers with an increased workload due to COVID-19 had ∼2 times higher odds of anxiety and depression compared to those without workload changes.…”

Individual and organizational factors influencing well-being and burnout amongst healthcare assistants: A systematic review

“… Problem/emotion-focused coping, sleep duration Burnout Blanco-Donoso et al (2021) Spain Cross sectional survey 56 physicians, nurses and nursing aids Hospitals To analyze if daily work-family conflict and burnout could explain the leaving intentions and vitality of healthcare workers Work-family conflict, job depersonalization, job emotional exhaustion Daily leaving intention, daily vitality Conyard et al (2020) Ireland Cross sectional survey 147 medical assistants Hospitals To investigate the frequency of burnout syndrome in medical assistants working in hospitals. Demographics: sex, assistant type, marital status Burnout Dos Santos et al (2022) Brazil Cross sectional survey 572 nurses and medical students Hospitals To describe the occurrence of sleep disorders and burnout in a nursing team during the COVID-19 pandemic and to identify the associated factors Working hours, sleep medications, sleep disorders Burnout Dreher et al (2021) Germany Cross sectional survey 2150 medical assistants Medical care centers, hospitals, and clinics To investigate pandemic-related stressors, attitudes, and work outcomes among medical assistants and to identify possible determinants Demographics, stressors, attitudes Depression, anxiety, work outcomes Ferriera and de Lucca, 2015 Brazil Cross sectional survey 538 nursing technicians Hospital To measure burnout among nurse technicians of working in a public hospital in the city of Campinas, São Paulo, and examine associations with sociodemographic and professional variables Gender, age, marital status, number of children, leisure activities, level of education, profession, and satisfaction at work Burnout Geiger-Brown et al (2004) United States Cross sectional survey 473 female nursing assistants Unionized nursing homes To explore the relationship between demanding work schedules and mental health indicators of depressive symptoms, depressive disorder, anxiety, and somatization among nursing assistants Work schedule Depression, anxiety, somatization Hochwälder (2008) Sweden Longitudinal surveys 838 nurses and 518 nurse assistants Hospitals To describe the relationship between empowerment and burnout Profession, gender, age, numbe...…”

“…One study found no correlation between gender and burnout ( Ferriera and de Lucca, 2015 ). Dos Santos et al reported that male participants experienced a higher prevalence of high and moderate levels of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization ( Dos Santos et al, 2022 ). In comparison, Navarro-Abal et al, found that women had significantly higher personal distress and empathetic concern compared to men ( Navarro-Abal et al, 2018 ).…”

“…The conceptual model did not include sleep but considering the importance of sleep to emotional regulation and behavior, we felt it important to include these studies in the synthesis. Bamonti et al (2019) found evidence that sleep time had a significant, negative association with depersonalization (a primary dimension of burnout) Dos Santos et al (2022) found that nursing assistants had the highest prevalence of bad and very bad sleep (85.7 %) compared to other health professions, leading some to use sleep medications. Of the participants in this study who endorsed a pre-existing sleep disorder, MBI subscale scores showed elevated emotional exhaustion and a decreased sense of personal accomplishment.…”

Sociodemographic Aspects and Healthy Behaviors Associated With Perceived Life Satisfaction in Health Professionals

“…65 The importance of sleep quality and its disorders lies in the fact that it is a health indicator that influences quality of life and allows for better care, avoids the risk of procedural errors, better teamwork, and a lower risk of occupational accidents. 66 Sleep quality is also associated with eating imbalance patterns, since sleep quality facilitates the control of excessive intake and facilitates weight loss. 28 Additionally, poor sleep quality is associated with mood disorders, 67 which would intensify a poor perception of satisfaction.…”