The Impact of Burnout Identification and Interventions in Nursing Students and Newly Licensed Nurses: A Literature Review

Authors

  • Natasha Barrow
  • Denise Smart
  • Victoria Sattler
  • Natsuko K. Wood

Abstract

Burnout is a problem that is plaguing the healthcare system globally, potentially resulting in individuals leaving their respective professions. Worldwide, there is a shortage of over 6 million nurses. Newly licensed registered nurses, both the associates degree and baccalaureate prepared, are poorly equipped to manage the stress and emotional exhaustion of providing patient care resulting in new nurses leaving the nursing field within one to two years of graduation. The purpose of this project was to identify: (1) if burnout experienced during nursing school continues into the new graduate nurse’s career; (2) how this influences the new graduate as a newly licensed registered nurse’s choice to exit the profession within the first few years of work; and (3) what interventions can be implemented to minimize burnout and improve retention rates of new nurses. A literature review was conducted, and the Health Belief Model was utilized to guide appropriate recommendations to minimize the negative effects of burnout. Approximately 175,000 registered nurses within the United States will leave the profession each year for a wide range of reasons. If nursing students experience burnout while in their respective programs, job stressors and job demands can increase the probability of newly licensed nurses burning out and subsequently leaving the profession. Implementation of various interventions have been shown to minimize burnout in nursing students and new nurses and subsequent retention in the nursing profession. It is recommended that education regarding burnout be implemented in nursing programs to provide students with the necessary skills to mitigate burnout prior to entering the profession.

 

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Published

2022-08-11

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Section

Articles