Las relaciones entre el empoderamiento psicológico y estructural en el puesto de trabajo y el síndrome de burnout en los profesionales de enfermería

Abstract

Burnout Syndrome is a response to chronic work-related stress, which is characterised by Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalization and a diminished of personal accomplishment at work. Nursing professional are a group with a high incidence of this form of work-related stress and its repercussions have clear negative consequences, affecting significantly both their occupational health and the quality of their professional services. Since 2019, Burnout Syndrome is recognized within the international classification of diseases ICD-11 and many international organizations recommend the adoption of preventive measures considering the high number of nurses’ shortages worldwide and the dropout rates experienced by all health systems. During the last decade, studies have documented the protective effects Organizational Empowerment and Job Satisfaction on the three components of Burnout. However, these have not been sufficiently studied in the context of nursing professionals in Spain. The general objective of this research was to study the relationships between Burnout Syndrome and the variables of quality of work life, Organizational Empowerment and Job Satisfaction among nursing professionals in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A descriptive and cross-sectional observational study with quantitative methodology was carried out by applying self-administered online questionnaires to a sample of voluntary participants within practising professionals during the study period January-June 2022. The variables analysed were measured with scales validated for the Spanish population, using the MBI-HS to determine Burnout levels, the CWEQ_II for Structural Empowerment, the PEI for Phycological Empowerment and the S20/23 for Job Satisfaction; demographic and professional variables were included in the data collection protocol. RESULTS: The final sample of the study was of 335 practising professionals. 50% of the nursing professionals surveyed experience high levels of Burnout Syndrome and are dissatisfied with their work. 48.1% have medium levels of Structural Empowerment. Psychological empowerment levels are high in 76.4% of the cases. All variables related to quality of work life were significant relationships with Emotional Exhaustion and Depersonalization and positive ones with Personal accomplishment at Work. Professional variables have explained the differences in the three components of Burnout Syndrome better than the demographic characteristics of professionals. Organizational Empowerment and Job Satisfaction predicted 38.3% of the variance in Emotional Exhaustion of professionals and Organizational Empowerment explained 35.8% of the variance in Personal Fulfilment at Work. CONCLUSIONS: Results obtained point out that occupational risk prevention programmes which promote Job Satisfaction and Organizational Empowerment are effective means to improve the quality of work life of professionals, reduce the levels of Burnout Syndrome and improve the effectiveness and efficiency of healthcare systems