Burnout among nurses and reported consequences to staff well-being and patient care at Muhimbili National Hospital, Tanzania

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background: Globally, nurse burnout is a significant and concerning issue, affecting healthcare systems in various countries and regions. Studies conducted globally have highlighted the high prevalence of nurses’ burnout. Main Objective: To assess the prevalence, contributing factors, and reported consequences of burnout among nurses in Muhimbili National Hospital, Tanzania. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted. A structured organized questionnaire was used to assess burnout levels among the participants. Ordinal logistic regression was employed to assess the relationship between the independent variables and burnout. The 95% confidence interval and a significance level of p< 0.05 were used to assess the association strength. Descriptive analysis was performed to determine the frequency of categorical variables. Results: Nurses at MNH were found to be at risk of burnout, which means they have moderate scores of EE (25.9%) and DP (29.2%), with 1% high scores in PA. The mean scores of MBI’s three subscales (EE, DP, and PA) among the 364 participants were 12.8, 8.5, and 10.8 with standard deviations of 4.1, 2.4, and 1.7 respectively. Nurses with 6-10 years of experience had almost three times higher odds of emotional exhaustion (Odds Ratio (OR) = 4.12, 95% CI: 2.02 8.8, p = 0.001), nurses working rotating shifts had almost three times higher odds of emotional exhaustion (OR = 2.55, 95% CI: 1.19 – 5.50, p = 0.01) and Depersonalization (OR = 2.67, 95% CI: 1.06 – 6.67, p = 0.03). Nurses in the Inpatient Department (IPD) (n = 162) had significantly higher odds of Emotional Exhaustion (OR = 3.42, 95% CI: 1.71 – 6.9, p = 0.001). On the other hand, there was no significant association between burnout and sex, marital status, education level, or promotion. A considerable proportion of nurses (71.6%) reported experiencing physical health problems like backache and joint pain as a result of burnout. Conclusion: These findings are important for fast-tracking the strategies to improve services at MNH. Recommendations: To mitigate burnout among healthcare professionals at MNH, the MNH management should enhance support systems, promote work-life balance and develop policies that offer flexible scheduling, adequate time off, and resources to manage work-related stress.