The Prevalence of Burnout Syndrome among Nursing Staff Working at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 2017

Abstract

Objective: Burnout syndrome is a state of decreased physical and psychological efficiency due to ongoing exposure to occupational stressors. In addition, it is usually represented by three elements; emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment. Whereas nurses play an integral part in the healthcare system and they are always liable to occupational burnout. We aimed this study to determine the prevalence of burnout syndrome among nursing staff working at King Abdulaziz University Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Findings: Regarding the socio-demographic data, 90.7% of the nurses were female, 92.3% were non-Saudi, and 68.7% were not satisfied with their income. Moreover and out of expectations, the prevalence of burnout syndrome in this study was 9.34%. However, emotional exhaustion alone was 59.89%. Conclusions: Nurses nowadays have a significant role in the healthcare system, and research like this will help to improve their individual-work relationship, resulting in a better evidence-based work environment. As we mentioned, the prevalence of burnout syndrome in our study was low, (out of what we expected compared to previous literature). However, the high level of emotional exhaustion gives us more opportunity to do more studies in this area.