Work environment, resilience, burnout, intent to leave during COVID pandemic among nurse leaders: A cross-sectional study

Aims The aims of this work are to (1) investigate the work environment, resilience, burnout, and turnover intention and (2) examine how work environment and personal resilience impact burnout and turnover intention among nurse leaders in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. Background The COVID-19 pandemic introduced tremendous stressors to nurse leaders, for example, managing the complex staffing situation while balancing patients' and family's needs. Methods During May to September 2021, an electronic survey was sent out to nurse leaders in Birmingham, Alabama, USA, and surrounding areas. Results Fifty-six respondents were included in the study. The composite score of the work environment measure was moderately to highly related to resilience [rho (rho) = .59] and burnout [rho = -.63 to -.68] but had small association to intent to leave [rho = -.30]. The resilience was highly correlated to burnout [rho = -.53 to -.59] and moderately associated to intent to leave [rho = -.32]. Conclusions A better work environment for nurse leaders is related to higher resilience, lower burnout, and lower turnover intention. Resilience impacts burnout and turnover intention among nurse leaders. Implications for Nursing Management Health care organizations and stakeholders should implement effective strategies to improve the work environment, which could lead to enhanced resilience, reduced burnout, and lower turnover intention of their nurse leaders especially during and following this pandemic.

Automated summary

The aim of this study is to investigate the work environment, resilience, burnout, and turnover intention among nurse leaders during the COVID-19 crisis, and to examine the impact of work environment and personal resilience on burnout and turnover intention. The results revealed that a better work environment for nurse leaders is related to higher resilience, lower burnout, and lower turnover intention.