Medical Science

Home

Volume 28, Issue 145, March 2024

Prevalence and impact of burnout in Emergency Department nurses; a multicenter study in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Tawfiq Almezieny¹, Abdulmajeed Alashaikh², Reema Alnasser², Saad Dammas³, Nouf Alsubaie⁴, Yara Alhusaini⁵, Taif Alotaibi⁴

¹Consultant & Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine and Critical Care, Department of Emergency Medicine, King Khalid University Hospital, King Saud University Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
²Saudi board emergency medicine resident, King Saud University Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
³Medical Intern, King Saud University Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
⁴Medical Student, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
⁵Medical Student, College of Medicine, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT

Background: Burnout among healthcare professionals, particularly nurses, is a significant concern globally. Emergency department (ED) nurses, operating in high-stress environments, may be particularly vulnerable to burnout. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of burnout and its association with various sociodemographic factors among ED nurses in Saudi Arabia. Study Aim: To determine the prevalence of burnout and identify sociodemographic factors associated with burnout among ED nurses. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 179 ED nurses in Saudi Arabia, to evaluate burnout, the Maslach Burnout Inventory was utilized. Categorizing scores into high and low burnout. Sociodemographic factors including age, gender, marital status, nationality, current housing status, and years of experience were analyzed for their association with burnout using chi-square tests. When a p-value was less than 0.05, statistical significance was reached. Results: The overall prevalence of burnout among ED nurses was 65.4%. Personal burnout was reported by 60.2% of participants, work-related burnout by 64.4%, and patient-related burnout by 49.8%. Younger nurses (25-29 years) demonstrated significantly higher burnout scores compared to other age groups (χ² = 10.843, p = 0.028). Saudi nationality was associated with higher burnout prevalence (χ² = 10.505, p = 0.033). Significant correlations were found between personal, work-related, and patient-related burnout domains (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The interconnected nature of burnout domains emphasizes the need for comprehensive interventions. These findings provide insights for healthcare organizations to develop targeted strategies to mitigate burnout among ED nurses and enhance overall workforce well-being.

Keywords: Emergency department, burnout, nursing, sociodemographic factors, healthcare professionals, Saudi Arabia