Evaluation of the relationship between self - esteem and burnout in nurses of hospitals of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences

Within the nursing profession work stress، self - Esteem and burnout are widely present and problematic and can be affecting on caring of patient، physical and mental health of nurses. Thus، we studied the association between Self - Esteem and Burnout in Nurses of Hospitals of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences. This study was a Cross sectional study accomplished at university hospitals in Ahvaz during Jan-Mar 2009. A total of 92 nurses from the 100 working at the hospital at the time answered a self-administered questionnaire including the Maslach Burnout Inventory and Cooper - Smith inventory of self - esteem. Data were analyzed using SPSS and appropriate descriptive statistically tests and Spearman Coefficient of Correlation. All the nurses have a mean age 32. 44±6. 27 years and 87% them were female. The mean score was 31. 98±11. 1 for the Emotional Exhaustion subscale، 9. 46±5. 15 for the Depersonalization subscale and 36. 73±9. 68 for the Personal Accomplishment subscale. Correlation analysis also revealed linearly negative relationship between self-esteem and emotional exhaustion (r=-0. 1، P=0. 32) and its severity (r=-0. 087، P=0. 4). A linear relationship was found between self - esteem and severity (r=-0. 046، P=0. 66) of depersonalization. A positively linear relationship (very low) was also found to exist between frequency (r=0. 05، P=0. 58) and severity (r=0. 12، P=0. 25) of lack of personal accomplishment with self esteem. It is necessary to consider nurses having the characteristics shown as the correlates of burnout in this study as a target group، to screen periodically the Burnout status and self-esteem and improve their working conditions.