Educational and personal burnout and burnout regarding collaborating with fellow university nursing students during COVID-19 in 2020–2021

Abstract

Background: Knowledge is lacking about the effects of COVID-19 on nursing students' burnout symptoms. Burnout can lead to negative feelings and behaviours towards learning and poor mental health. Aims: To describe and compare nursing/midwifery students' burnout, explore differences and detect predictors at two time points through COVID-19. Methods: Students were offered participation in the spring semesters of 2020 and 2021 (N = 2046), during COVID-19. The response rate was 30–33%. By using reliable and valid instruments, the students’ stress and burnout were analysed as well as the students’ health and perceived support. Results: Symptoms of academic burnout were higher among 1st and 2nd year BSc students in 2021. On the contrary, 3rd and 4th year students had higher academic and personal burnout than graduate students as well as than 1st and 2nd year students. Regarding academic burnout, 47% of the variability was explained by educational level, support, stress and the interactional effect of stress and support. Collaborational burnout, predicted by the students' educational level and support, explained 7% of the variability in the outcome. Additionally, educational level, and stress, predicted 52% of the variability in personal burnout. Conclusion: Educators or student counsellors need to facilitate effective learning practices and offer academic support, specifically during 3rd and 4th year to boost helpful coping strategies and handle uncertainty and stressors related to crises such as COVID-19.