Burnout y variables personales moduladoras en enfermeros que trabajan en hospitales oncológicos

A survey of the studies that relate some characteristics of the personality and the development of the burnout was carried out. The importance of inhibitory or modulatory variables in the development of the burnout syndrome is underlined, such as the social support, self-esteem, self-efficacy, and particularly, that of the salutogenic constructs known as “hardy personality” and “sense of coherence”, which constitute buffer agents of the stress’ negative consequences. The results from investigating the relationship between these personal variables are described, as well as the levels of the burnout in 143 nurses working in three Cuban oncological hospitals. These results point to the inhibitory influence of these variables and their components in the development process of the burnout. Some components of these buffer agents seem to act out earlier, and others in later strages of the syndrome formation. Such results may have special relevance in the design and implementation of strategies of prevention and control of job stress and burnout in these professionals.