Burnout syndrome in intensive care professionals: relationships with health status and wellbeing. / Síndrome de burnout en los profesionales de cuidados intensivos: relaciones con la salud y el bienestar.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the predictive models that include the dimensions of burnout that are predictors for physical/mental health, and subjective/psychological wellbeing perceived in intensive care professionals; to analyse the relationships between burnout syndrome, health status and wellbeing experienced by these professionals; and to establish sociodemographic differences in the variables evaluated. METHOD: A correlational and cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 52 critical care professionals, mainly nurses, were recruited from an intensive care unit of Madrid. All participants were assessed with the questionnaires: Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey, Short Form-12 Health Survey, Satisfaction With Life Scale, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, and Psychological Well-Being Scales. RESULTS: No significant sociodemographic differences were found. High levels in the three burnout dimensions were associated with poor physical/mental health and subjective/psychological wellbeing. High scores in emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, and low in personal accomplishment negatively predicted subjective and psychological well-being scales. The self-acceptance scale had the highest predictive validity. Emotional exhaustion was the only burnout dimension that negatively predicted physical and mental health. CONCLUSIONS: Health status and levels of subjective/psychological wellbeing can be negatively influenced by the burnout syndrome experienced by intensive care professionals. As a result, the implementation of programmes to prevent and treat this syndrome is needed. These preventive interventions can positively impact not only the health and wellbeing of these professionals, but can also improve their ability to practice effectively, improve healthcare quality and patient security, and reduce the economic costs of health institutions. It is therefore imperative to implement burnout preventive programmes for intensive care professionals from universities to health institutions.

[Personal resources relevant to psychological well-being in nursing]. / Recursos personales relevantes para el bienestar psicológico en el personal de enfermería.

AIMS: To determine differences in social support, resilience, coping, and psychological well-being (PWB) among intensive care nursing and nursing staff of other hospital services, as well as to establish a structural model in these professionals where relevant personal resources to PWB were included. METHOD: Correlational and cross-sectional study. A sample of 208 nursing professionals from University Hospital of Fuenlabrada (Madrid) took part in the study. This sample consisted of nurses (n=133), nursing assistants (n=61), and midwives (n=14), of whom 44 worked in intensive care unit, 50 in other special units, and 114 in wards. INSTRUMENTS: Social Support Subscale, 10-Item CD-RISC (resilience), Brief-Cope (coping), Scales of PWB, and sociodemographic variables. RESULTS: No differences were found in any assessed psychological variables as regards hospital service worked in. A structural model was found and showed that social support, resilience, and coping determined PWB of nursing professionals. The most important personal resource was coping strategies, which determined PWB directly (ß=0.68). Social support influenced PWB directly (ß=0.33), and indirectly (ß=0.32), whereas resilience influenced it indirectly (ß=0.57). CONCLUSIONS: Differences in PWB, coping, social support and resilience are not determined by hospital service. Coping strategies focused on engagement (or adaptive), social support, and resilience, constitute three relevant personal resources that determine the PWB of nursing staff, which can be developed and improved by specific programs. The most important PWB dimensions are self-acceptance and environment mastery.