Relation between Occupational Hazards and Nurses’ Job Burnout at Intensive Care Units

Abstract

Background : Intensive care units like other dangerous workplaces are characterized by a high amount of exposure to hazardous substances, which gravely threatens nurses' safety, stress and burnout. Aim: Assess the relation between occupational hazards and nurses’ job burnout at Intensive Care Units. Subjects and method: Design: A descriptive correlation research study design. Setting: It conducted in intensive care units at Tanta university hospitals including, Tanta Main University Hospital and Emergency Hospital. Subject: All nurses (n=390) who were working in Tanta hospitals. Tools: Data were collected by using Occupational Hazards Structured Questionnaire and Nurses' Job Burnout Scale. Results: More than half (56.2%) of nurses perceived had moderate level of occupational hazards. Also, almost half (51.3%) of nurses had a low level of job burnout. Conclusion : There was a statistically significant positive correlation between occupational hazards and nurses’ job burnout. Recommendation : Hospital administration create ICU hospitals policies and guidelines for safety practices. Hospital /unit managers should gain consciousness of the existence of burnout and thus to take corrective action to reduce its occurrence, nurses follow up the implementation of excellent care aspects in daily work to prevent workplace occupational hazards. Nurses conduct workshops on resolving stress and design strategies to improve and solve burnout among nurses.