DID THE BURNOUT LEVELS OF THE NURSES AFFECT THEIR PROFESSIONAL COMMITMENT DURING THE COVID -19 PANDEMIC PROCESS?

Aims: This descriptive, cross-sectional, and correlational study investigated the effect of burnout on nurses' professional commitment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Background: Nurses have been experiencing high levels of burnout since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, we know little about how burnout affects their professional commitment. Methods: The study was conducted between March 2021 and April 2021. The sample consisted of 671 nurses. Participation was voluntary. Data were collected online using a personal information form, the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), and the Nursing Professional Commitment Scale (NPCS). The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) at a significance level of 0.05. Results: Half the participants stated that the pandemic adversely affected their professional commitment (51.4%). More than a quarter of the participants noted that they considered quitting (36.4%). Participants had a mean MBI and NPCS score of 2.43±0.52 (above average) and 2.07±0.76 (average), respectively. Their MBI and NPCS scores were negatively correlated (r= -0.428; p=0.001). Burnout explained 18% of the total variance of professional commitment (p=0.000; R2: 0.182) Conclusion: Nurses experience high levels of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization during the pandemic, resulting in reduced professional commitment. There is also a positive correlation between personal accomplishment and professional commitment.