The effect of work environment on burnout among nursing directors: A cross-sectional study

Aim Identifying the relationship between burnout status and hospital size and workplace environment among hospital nursing directors. Background Although the demands on nursing staff and managers are increasing, nursing directors' burnout is an under-researched topic. Methods An anonymous survey was conducted with 205 nursing directors across all 654 hospitals in Tokyo, Japan. The survey instruments were the Japanese version of the Burnout Scale, the Organizational Justice Questionnaire, the Nursing Work Empowerment Scale and the Workplace Support Scale. Results Nursing directors who were close to burnout were from smaller rather than large hospitals. Correlations were found between emotional exhaustion and interactional justice, age, resources, moral support from hospital executives, and self-reflection support from subordinates. Regarding depersonalization, correlations were found with interactional justice, age and work support from subordinates. Regarding participants' personal accomplishment, correlations were found with procedural justice, interactional justice and opportunities. Conclusions Nursing directors of smaller hospitals tend to experience greater burnout. The impact of work environment on burnout is greater than that of facility and individual characteristics. Implications for Nursing Management To mitigate burnout, hospitals should ensure high organizational justice, provide access to resources and opportunities, and encourage moral support from executives and work support from subordinates.