Šárka Ježorská*, Jana Kozyková**, Jan Chrastina*
* University of Palacky in Olomouc, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences
** City Hospital Ostrava, Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic, Birthing Room
JEŽORSKÁ, Š. – KOZYKOVÁ, J. – CHRASTINA, J. The Burnout Syndrome in Nurses Working with Cancer Patients. In Ošetrovateľstvo: teória, výskum, vzdelávanie [online], 2012, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 56-62. Available on: https://www.osetrovatelstvo.eu/en/archive/2012-volume-2/number-2/the-burnout-syndrome-in-nurses-working-with-cancer-patients.
Aim: The aim of the study was to explore the workload and burnout syndrome in nurses caring for oncology patients. Furthermore, it attempts to verify the relationship between the burnout measure, social support and length of practice in nurses.
Methods and Sample: The data were acquired in quantitative approach using data collection in a batch of tests – BM (Burnout Measure), PSSS (Perceived Social Support Scale) and Meister’s workload questionnaire. The research group comprised of 100 nurses with a minimum of 2-year working experience with oncology patients.
Results: The study confirmed the existence of a significant positive relationship between the workload and burnout measure among nurses working for at least 2 years with the target patient group. The study also proved the assumption about a significant negative correlation between burnout measure and social support in nurses. The hypothesis about a non-existent relation between length of practice and burnout measure was also confirmed.
Conclusion: Nursing in caring for oncology patients proved to be a high-risk profession regarding the burnout syndrome. The study proved that social support serves as one of the protective factors for the nurses. We also have to state that the nurses’ length of practice is a neutral factor regarding the emergence and development of burnout syndrome.
Keywords: burnout syndrome, social support, nurse, cancer patient, workload
Mgr. Šárka Ježorská, Ph.D.
Ústav společenských a humanitních věd, FZV UP
Tř. Svobody 8
771 11 Olomouc
Česká republika
e-mail: sarka.jezorska@upol.cz
Received: 30th January 2012
Accepted: 5th March 2012