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. 2020 Nov;24(11):1081-1088.
doi: 10.5005/jp-journals-10071-23667.

Burnout and Resilience among Frontline Nurses during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-sectional Study in the Emergency Department of a Tertiary Care Center, North India

Affiliations

Burnout and Resilience among Frontline Nurses during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-sectional Study in the Emergency Department of a Tertiary Care Center, North India

Sinu Jose et al. Indian J Crit Care Med. 2020 Nov.

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic had a massive impact on healthcare systems, increasing the risks of psychological distress in health professionals. Burnout is a prolonged response to chronic emotional and interpersonal stressors on the job and is defined by the three dimensions of emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and personal inefficacy.

Methodology: A cross-sectional descriptive design was used to assess the burnout and resilience among frontline nurses in the emergency department of a tertiary care center in North India during COVID-19 pandemic. The sample consisted of 120 frontline nurses working in the emergency department, selected by a simple random sampling method. Data were collected using the Maslach burnout inventory-general survey and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale.

Results: The nurses in the emergency during pandemic experienced a moderate-to-severe level of burnout in emotional exhaustion (29.13 ± 10.30) and depersonalization (12.90 ± 4.67) but mild-to-moderate level of burnout in reduced personal accomplishment (37.68 ± 5.17) and showed a moderate to a high level of resilience (77.77 ± 12.41). The two metrics of burnout viz., emotional exhaustion and personal inefficacy had a significantly negative correlation with resilience among the frontline nurses in the emergency (r = 0.25, p < 0.05 and r = 0.31, p < 0.01, respectively). A significant negative correlation has been identified between burnout and resilience that informs the role of resilience in alleviating burnout during this pandemic.

Conclusion: Effective interventions for improving resilience are needed to relieve nurses' burnout and workplace stressors. Also, the administration should ensure a healthy workplace and adopt a positive attitude and harmonious relationship with the frontline workers in the mitigation of the pandemic.

How to cite this article: Jose S, Dhandapani M, Cyriac MC. Burnout and Resilience among Frontline Nurses during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-sectional Study in the Emergency Department of a Tertiary Care Center, North India. Indian J Crit Care Med 2020;24(11):1081-1088.

Keywords: Burnout; COVID-19 pandemic; Emergency nurses; Emotional exhaustion; Frontline nurses; Hardiness; Optimism; Resilience.

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Conflict of interest statement

Source of support: Nil Conflict of interest: None

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Mean scores of the burnout among frontline nurses during COVID-19 pandemic
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Resilience among frontline nurses in the emergency department during the COVID-19 pandemic

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