Burnout in Specialized Care Nurses during the First COVID-19 Outbreak in Spain

Abstract

Background: One of the most outstanding consequences of the pandemic is the impact it had on the mental health of nurses caring for patients with COVID-19 in specialised services. Aim: The aim was to analyse the burnout levels of nursing professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic in specialised care and their relationship with variables of the socio-occupational context. Method: This was a quantitative, descriptive, observational, cross-sectional study, which included a sample of 355 nursing professionals. The instrument used was a questionnaire (Maslach Burnout Inventory Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS)). Results: A mean score of 27.44 (SD = 12.01) was obtained in the subscale “Emotional exhaustion”; in “Depersonalisation”, the mean score was 7.26 (SD = 6.00); and, finally, in “Personal fulfilment”, the mean score was 38.27 (SD = 7.04). Statistically significant differences were found in the subscale “Emotional exhaustion”, which is higher in women than in men. The subscale “Personal Accomplishment” was higher in the age group 51–65 years. Regarding the “Depersonalisation” subscale, statistically significant differences were found with respect to the years of experience in the current service, which is higher in the group aged 39 years or more. Conclusion: Intervention programmes are required in healthcare systems to improve the emotional well-being of nursing professionals.