Work environment, resilience, burnout, intent to leave during COVID pandemic among nurse leaders: A cross‐sectional study

Abstract

Aims The aims of this work are to (1) investigate the work environment, resilience, burnout, and turnover intention and (2) examine how work environment and personal resilience impact burnout and turnover intention among nurse leaders in the midst of the COVID‐19 crisis. Background The COVID‐19 pandemic introduced tremendous stressors to nurse leaders, for example, managing the complex staffing situation while balancing patients' and family's needs. Methods During May to September 2021, an electronic survey was sent out to nurse leaders in Birmingham, Alabama, USA, and surrounding areas. Results Fifty‐six respondents were included in the study. The composite score of the work environment measure was moderately to highly related to resilience [ρ (rho) = .59] and burnout [ρ = −.63 to −.68] but had small association to intent to leave [ρ = −.30]. The resilience was highly correlated to burnout [ρ = −.53 to −.59] and moderately associated to intent to leave [ρ = −.32]. Conclusions A better work environment for nurse leaders is related to higher resilience, lower burnout, and lower turnover intention. Resilience impacts burnout and turnover intention among nurse leaders. Implications for Nursing Management Health care organizations and stakeholders should implement effective strategies to improve the work environment, which could lead to enhanced resilience, reduced burnout, and lower turnover intention of their nurse leaders especially during and following this pandemic.

Nurse Managers’ Professional Quality of Life During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…This is consistent with other studies that found burnout was associated with or a common reason for manager turnover intention. 17,23,27 Nurses and nurse managers also experienced extraordinary stressors during the pandemic that may have impacted psychological health and well-being. Higher scores on the Secondary Traumatic Stress scale would indicate that the participant may need to discuss any work stress-related symptoms with a professional.…”

“…This is consistent with other studies that found burnout was associated with or a common reason for manager turnover intention. 17,23,27…”

“…14,19 The pandemic's impact on nurses and nurse managers in turn impacts the ability of hospitals and ambulatory clinics to provide high-quality care to patients. Several pandemic-related factors have increased nursing turnover and intent to leave, including fear of COVID-19, 20 decreases in resource availability, 21 chronic occupational fatigue, 22 burnout, 23 post-traumatic stress, 24 poor staffing, 10 and work's negative effect on health and well-being. 10 On September 1, 2021, approximately 1.5 years into the pandemic, the American Nurses Association had already called on the US Department of Health and Human Services to "declare the current and unsustainable nurse staffing shortage facing our country a national crisis" and to take concrete action to address a crisis-level shortage that jeopardizes the ability of nurses to care for patients.…”

Classification and citation analysis of the 100 top-cited articles on nurse resilience using chord diagrams: A bibliometric analysis

“…[8] Nurses who are resilient are more likely to contribute to positive organizational and nursing care outcomes in addition to high work performance, high job satisfaction, high workforce sustainability, high patient care quality, high well-being, and low burnout. [2,3] By understanding nurses' resilience, it may be possible to enhance these positive effects. There has, however, not yet been published a comprehensive guide to Nurse resilience by means of bibliometric analysis.…”

“…There is evidence that resilience training, as well as its associated positive effects, is associated with a reduction in burnout risks among health workers. [2] Research literature [3] has demonstrated that resilience training reduces the risk of burnout among health workers who face workplace problems. The ability of a nurse to develop resilience not only facilitates their recovery but also serves as a motivational tool for their colleagues.…”