Burnout and perceptions of conscience among health care personnel: A pilot study
- 20 January 2010
- journal article
- research article
- Published by SAGE Publications in Nursing Ethics
- Vol. 17 (1), 23-38
- https://doi.org/10.1177/0969733009351950
Abstract
Although organizational and situational factors have been found to predict burnout, not everyone employed at the same workplace develops it, suggesting that becoming burnt out is a complex, multifaceted phenomenon. The aim of this study was to elucidate perceptions of conscience, stress of conscience, moral sensitivity, social support and resilience among two groups of health care personnel from the same workplaces, one group on sick leave owing to medically assessed burnout (n = 20) and one group who showed no indications of burnout (n = 20). The results showed that higher levels of stress of conscience, a perception of conscience as a burden, having to deaden one’s conscience in order to keep working in health care and perceiving a lack of support characterized the burnout group. Lower levels of stress of conscience, looking on life with forbearance, a perception of conscience as an asset and perceiving support from organizations and those around them (social support) characterized the non-burnout group.Keywords
This publication has 42 references indexed in Scilit:
- Meanings of staying healthy in a context where others developed burnout – phenomenological‐hermeneutic interpretation of healthcare personnel’s narrativesScandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 2009
- Work characteristics and sickness absence in burnout and nonburnout groups: A study of Swedish health care workers.International Journal of Stress Management, 2008
- Dealing with stress: Patterns of self-comfort among healthcare studentsNurse Education Today, 2008
- Nursing staff competence, work strain, stress and satisfaction in elderly care: a comparison of home‐based care and nursing homesJournal of Clinical Nursing, 2008
- The relationship between different work-related sources of social support and burnout among registered and assistant nurses in Sweden: A questionnaire surveyInternational Journal of Nursing Studies, 2007
- Development of the Perceptions of Conscience QuestionnaireNursing Ethics, 2007
- Methodological aspects of rigor in qualitative nursing research on families involved in intensive care units: A literature reviewNursing & Health Sciences, 2007
- Editorial CommentNursing Ethics, 2006
- Job BurnoutCurrent Directions in Psychological Science, 2003
- Editorial CommentNursing Ethics, 2002