Nurse burnout: The effect of the gap between personal values and their implementation in the workplace

Background & Aim: Burnout is caused by a variety of environmental and personal factors and it affects the well-being of the nursing staff. The aim of this study is to examine the gap between the importance nurses ascribe to individual and professional values as against the actual implementation of these values in their work, and the impact of this gap on nurses’ burnout. Methods: A quantitative and descriptive study deploys a four-part questionnaire combining the Shorter Schwartz Value Survey and the Pines Burnout Measure on a 425-strong sample of Israeli nurses at hospitals and medical centers. Results: Burnout is especially evident in hospital departments where the demands on nursing staff are more intensive. Not only does the demanding work increase burnout, it also affects the ability to nurses’ three most important values—security, achievement and satisfaction. Gaps between value importance and actual realisation on these values contributed significantly to increased burnout. Conclusions: Nurses’ work environment is critical to shaping both the level their practice and their feelings of job satisfaction and is a direct and indirect factor in the development or prevention of burnout. Healthcare managers must recognize the negative impacts of the gap between nurses’ personal values and the values actually applied in their organization, and act to reduce this gap.