The impact of burnout on paediatric nurses' attitudes about patient safety in the acute hospital setting: A systematic review

Background

Patient safety is the cornerstone of quality healthcare. Nurses have a duty to provide safe care, particularly to vulnerable populations such as paediatric patients. Demands on staff and resources are rising and burnout is becoming an increasingly prevalent occupational hazard in paediatric healthcare today. Occupational stress is a barrier to maintaining a positive patient safety culture.

Purpose

This paper seeks to explore the impact of burnout on paediatric nurses' attitudes about patient safety.

Methods

A systematic review approach was used. Embase, Cochrane Library, Medline, CINAHL, and PsycINFO were the databases searched. All quantitative, primary, empirical studies, published in English, which investigated associations between burnout and attitudes to patient safety in the paediatric nursing workforce were included.

Results

Four studies were eligible for inclusion. These studies examined a total of 2769 paediatric nurses. Pooled data revealed overall moderate to high levels of burnout. All studies exposed a negative association between emotional exhaustion and safety attitude scoring (r = −0.301– −0.481). Three studies demonstrated a negative association to job satisfaction (r = −0.424– −0.474). The potential link between burnout and an increased frequency of adverse events was also highlighted.

Conclusions

Burnout may negatively impact paediatric nurses' attitudes to patient safety in the acute hospital setting. Targeted interventions to tackle burnout are urgently required to protect both paediatric nurses and patients.

Implications

Managers and policy makers must promote nurse well-being to safeguard staff and patients. Educational interventions are required to target burnout and promote patient safety. Further research is required to investigate the long-term impact of burnout.