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Predictors of Burnout Among Nurses in Taiwan

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Abstract

Nurse burnout is a crucial issue for health care professionals and impacts nurse turnover and nursing shortages. Individual and situational factors are related to nurse burnout with predictors of burnout differing among cultures and health care systems. The predictors of nurse burnout in Asia, particularly Taiwan, are unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the predictors of burnout among a national sample of nurses in Taiwan. A secondary data analysis of a nationwide database investigated the predictors of burnout among 1,846 nurses in Taiwan. Hierarchical regression analysis determined the relationship between predictors and burnout. Predictors of Taiwanese nurse burnout were age, physical/psychological symptoms, job satisfaction, work engagement, and work environment. The most significant predictors were physical/psychological symptoms and work engagement. The variables explained 35, 39, and 18 % of the emotional exhaustion, personal accomplishment, and depersonalization variance for 54 % of the total variance of burnout. Individual characteristics and nurse self-awareness, especially work, engagement can impact Taiwanese nurses’ burnout. Nurse burnout predictors provide administrators with information to develop strategies including education programs and support services to reduce nurse burnout.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the Department of Health, Executive Yuan, R. O. C. (TAIWAN) (DOH099-TD-M-113-97025).

Ethical Standard

This study was received ethical approval from National Cheng Kung University Hospital review board (No. 96E6245).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nursing, Institute of Allied Health Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City, Taiwan

    Huan-Fang Lee

  2. Nursing Department, Chi-Mei Medical Center, Tainan City, Taiwan

    Huan-Fang Lee

  3. Department of Nursing, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City, Taiwan

    Miaofen Yen

  4. Institute of Allied Health Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City, Taiwan

    Miaofen Yen

  5. Business Management Department, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan City, Taiwan

    Tsair Wei Chien

  6. Chia Nan University of Pharmacy and Science, Tainan City, Taiwan

    Tsair Wei Chien

  7. Department of Nursing, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NC, USA

    Susan Fetzer

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  1. Huan-Fang Lee
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  2. Miaofen Yen
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  3. Susan Fetzer
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  4. Tsair Wei Chien
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Correspondence to Miaofen Yen.

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Lee, HF., Yen, M., Fetzer, S. et al. Predictors of Burnout Among Nurses in Taiwan. Community Ment Health J 51, 733–737 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-014-9818-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-014-9818-4

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