Burnout Levels in Italian Nurses during the First and the Second Wave in the COVID-19 Outbreak: A Pilot Cohort-Data Comparison

Abstract

(1) Background: Nurses show higher psychological distress associated with physical difficulties during the COVID-19 outbreak. To compare burnout levels among nurses engaged in the front line of patients with COVID-19 during the first wave and the second wave of the pandemic. (2) Methods: Two cohort online surveys were conducted thanks to the Google Modules function: the first one was administered from March 2020 to April 2020 and the second survey, which included the same questionnaire, was administered from September 2020 to October 2020. (3) Results: There were significant differences in the emotional exhaustion sub dimension (p < 0.001): The first wave group recorded higher levels than the second wave one. While, as regards to the values of the dimension of the depersonalization, the second wave group reported significantly higher values than the first wave group (p = 0.006). No significant difference was recorded for the personal accomplishment sub dimension (p = 0.108). By considering the gender variable, significant difference was reported in personal accomplishment sub dimension, as during the second wave, females recorded lower levels in personal accomplishment while males reported significantly higher levels in the same sub dimension than the first wave (p = 0.012); while no statistically significant differences were reported in burnout sub dimensions during the first and the second waves according to years of work experience. (4) Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic represents an important provocation for nurses all around the world and, at the same time, constitutes a learning lesson to improve better approaches for the subsequent waves. Several interventions could be introduced to moderate the mental health influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on nurses.