The Problem of Burnout in Nursing

 

 

Introduction

Burnout is among the essential human resources issues in nursing. Nurses experience burnout due to high workload, poor working conditions, lack of support structures, and many other factors. However, research surrounding the issue shows that some leadership and human resources management strategies can be useful in reducing burnout. Researching and applying evidence-based human resources strategies allows facilities, HR managers, and nurse leaders to address the issue of burnout, thus improving job satisfaction of nurses and enhancing patient outcomes. In particular, transformational leadership could be part of a useful strategy for addressing burnout, as it assists in achieving organizational change through motivating and inspiring workers (Giddens, 2018). The present paper will seek to outline and explain the effects of transformational leadership on nurse burnout, as well as identify qualities found in transformational leaders that can aid nurses in becoming better at leadership. The main argument of the paper is that nursing leaders have the ability to reduce burnout amongst nurses by introducing administrative changes, offering support structures, and promoting initiatives that address primary staff concerns.

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Review of Literature

Burnout is one of many issues that are evident in the nursing profession, but it probably has the most impact on nurses and patients. The main reasons for nurse burnout are nurses’ lack of motivation and their high workload (Holdren, Paul III, & Coustasse, 2015). Indeed, hospitals and other medical institutions often experience staff shortages, which affects the volume of work of each staff member. Moreover, nurses often work long shifts and have a full variety of tasks to complete, which contributes to burnout. The lack of motivation, on the other hand, can be due to inadequate leadership and dissatisfaction with working conditions.

Burnout leads to a number of serious consequences, including emotional exhaustion, family deterioration, and personal deterioration (Suñer-Soler et al., 2014). Burnout can also lead nurses to give up the profession or skipping work shifts, thus contributing to staff shortages and burnout among other health professionals (Suñer-Soler et al., 2014). Therefore, leaders in nursing should seek to address both causes of burnout effectively in order to reduce the unwanted impact of burnout on nurses and patients.

Leadership is often seen as one of the ways to address persistent workplace issues. The subject of leadership in nursing is complicated, mainly because there is no single evidence-based approach that applies to all situations (Scully, 2015). There are various leadership styles that can be used depending on the organization’s goals and needs, such as autocratic, democratic, transactional, transformational, strategic, and several others. The choice of a particular leadership style could have a critical effect on the organization’s success, as it influences factors such as staff motivation, job satisfaction, retention, and career development.

Transformational leadership is suitable for organizations planning a change process, as it inspires employees to work towards achieving a shared vision (Hutchinson & Jackson, 2013). Transformational leadership has a significant impact on motivation, employee engagement, and workplace climate. Moreover, transformational leadership assists in reducing the effect of internal regulatory processes on burnout, and can thus help in addressing the issue (Shi, Zhang, Xu, Liu, & Miao, 2014).

Findings

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Research suggests that leadership styles have a significant effect on burnout. In particular, studies show that positive leadership styles contribute to motivation, empowerment, and work conditions, which is why they assist in reducing burnout (Laschinger, Wong, & Grau, 2013; Van Bogaert, Kowalski, Weeks, Van Heusden, & Clarke, 2013). There are also leadership styles that can predict nurse burnout by negatively affecting work conditions and motivation. For instance, autocratic and laissez-faire leadership could contribute to burnout, as leaders using these styles often fail to provide sufficient support structures for nurses (Giltinane, 2013). Leadership styles that are most beneficial for organizations struggling with nurse burnout include authentic leadership, ethical leadersh

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