Positive Orientation and Strategies for Coping with Stress as Predictors of Professional Burnout among Polish Nurses

Ewa Kupcewicz and Marcin Jóźwik
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Ewa Kupcewicz: Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Collegium Medicum, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 14 C Zolnierska Street, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
Marcin Jóźwik: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Faculty of Medicine, Collegium Medicum, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 44 Niepodleglosci Street, 10-045 Olsztyn, Poland

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 21, 1-14

Abstract: Background: A psychological resource, positive orientation, may moderate stress and protect nurses from burnout. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of positive orientation and stress-coping strategies in predicting professional burnout among Polish nurses. Methods: A total of 1806 nurses employed in 23 hospitals in northeastern Poland participated in the study. The study used a standardized Positive Orientation Scale, Mini-COPE, and the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory. Results: On the stenographic scale, 21.8% of nurses had high levels of positive orientation, 46.8% were average, and 31.9% had low positive orientation. A total of 21.1% of respondents reported personal burnout. Most nurses reported work-related burnout (27%) and burnout in contacts with patients (28.4%) With increasing levels of positive orientation, nurses more often used adaptive strategies that focus on a problem and emotions. Personal burnout accounted for 16% of the variance of the dependent variable (β = −0.32; R 2 = 0.16), which was slightly lower than work-related burnout (10% (β = −0.23; R 2 = 0.10)), and burnout in contacts with patients (9% (β = −0.22; R 2 = 0.09)). Conclusion: The reduced level of positive orientation proved to be the main determinant of the professional burnout of Polish nurses. Burnout-prophylactic programs should be geared towards developing individual psychological resources, including positive orientation and the acquisition of effective stress-coping skills.

Keywords: positive orientation; stress; burnout; nurses (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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