The comparison of burnout in nurses working in clinical and educational sections of Arak University of Medical Sciences in 2008

Job burnout is a common consequence of job stress among nurses which has negative impacts on the quality patient care and physical and mental health status of nurses and it imposes some expenses on health care system. This research aiming at comparing burnout level among the nurses in Markazi province can offer some solutions for reducing burnout and improving self-esteem in nurses. In this descriptive cross-sectional survey, via stratified random sampling, 66 nurses working in the clinical sections of governmental hospitals in Arak, Khomein and Saveh and 33 nursing instructors and nursing faculty members of Arak University of Medical Sciences who had their BSc or MSc in nursing were selected. Maslach Burnout Inventory was then administered to the participants. Mean of Job burnout (40.84%) in this research was higher than that of other similar studies. Mean of emotional exhaustion scores, depersonalization and personal accomplishment were 28.38, 9.41 and 29.31, respectively. The difference between occupational burnout in nurses working in the clinical sections and those in the educational departments were significant in the domain of depersonalization. But in other domains, no statistically significant differences were seen between the two groups. Job burnout among educational and clinical nurses is generally high in Markazi province. This can be decreased through such special ways as increasing job stability and freedom of action, clarification of individual responsibility regarding personal performance and dividing tasks among the members for lowering workload.