Prevalence of burnout among nurses in Iran: a systematic review and meta-analysis

AimThis study aimed to summarize the available information in the literature to make an accurate estimate of the prevalence of burnout among Iranian nurses. Background and introductionBurnout is a work-related stress syndrome that has negative impact on healthcare providers, patients and healthcare delivery systems. MethodA comprehensive search of literature using international [PubMed, Scopus and the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI)] and Iranian scientific data bases [Scientific Information Database (SID), IranMedex and Magiran] was conducted to identify English and Persian language studies, published between 2000 and 2016, that examined the prevalence of burnout among nurses in Iran. The I-squared test and Chi-squared-based Q-test suggested heterogeneity of reported prevalence among the qualified studies; thus, a random-effects model was applied to estimate the overall prevalence of burnout among nurses in Iran. ResultsBased on 21 selected articles with 4180 participants, the overall prevalence of burnout among Iranian nurses was estimated to be 36% [95% confidence interval (CI), 20-53%] in Iran. Meta-regression indicated that sample size and year of data collection, mean age of samples, female to male ratio and geographic regions were not statistically significantly associated with the prevalence of burnout. Also, based on Egger's test and funnel plot, there is no publication bias among studies included in the analysis. ConclusionProfessional burnout affects more than one-third of nursing staff in Iran; thus, effective interventions and strategies are required to reduce and prevent burnout among nurses. Implication for nursing and health policyDue to the negative consequences of burnout on patients, nurses and organizations, nursing and healthcare managers should intervene to prevent and reduce burnout among nurses in Iran. Policy attention should focus on developing effective interventions to prevent and minimize the burden of burnout among nurses in Iran. Nurses' involvement in the policy-making process is crucial in the implementation of effective programs and initiatives tailored to address the higher prevalence of burnout among Iranian nurses.