Factors related to the burnout of Japanese female nurses with children under 3 years old.

AIM: Burnout is a common feature among healthcare professionals; however, little systematic research exists on burnout among nurses who are raising children. The burnout-related factors among female nurses with children under the age of 3 years were identified in order to ascertain potential burnout prevention methods. METHODS: In total, 1681 nurses with children who worked at nine city hospitals in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, were sent the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey; 1173 nurses responded in June 2014. They were divided according to their sex and children's ages. A data analysis was undertaken for those female nurses with children who were aged under 3 years who provided valid responses (n = 158). RESULTS: A number of factors related to burnout in female nurses with children aged under 3 years was found via a multiple regression analysis: irritation at being unable to attend to their own affairs, over 4-6 h of overtime work per week, having a child aged under 3 years as the first or second child, little sense of work fulfillment, using a childcare facility outside the workplace, dissatisfaction with their salary, feeling ill-qualified as a parent, and a sense of inadequate support. CONCLUSIONS: Child care occurs during a limited period and appropriate support is needed. A workplace environment with no overtime work, a childcare facility in the workplace, and mental health support to reduce "feelings of irritation" and "feeling ill-qualified as a parent" could help to prevent burnout in female nurses with toddlers and infants.

Post-partum anemia and factors that work against alleviation of the anemia.

AIM: This study aimed to clarify conditions of women experiencing post-partum anemia and identify factors that work against the alleviation of anemia. METHODS: This was a retrospective longitudinal study, involving 246 women giving birth at five participating institutions, diagnosed with anemia on day 3 post-partum, and given a blood sample at the medical examination 1 month after the birth. With answers about alleviation of anemia during the 1 month post-partum period as an objective variable, and explanatory variables, multiple logistic regression analysis was performed. The explanatory variables included demographic data of the participants, information about anemia, following the nutrition instruction advice for anemia alleviation, family structure and others assisting the participants, and self-management skills (measured by the Self-Management Skill [SMS] scale). RESULTS: The present authors collected 211 valid responses; the average age was 32.6 years. The mean hemoglobin values on the 3rd and 30th days post-partum were 9.6 and 12.0 g/dL, respectively. One fifth of the participants (21.3%) showed no anemia alleviation. The mean value on the SMS scale was 28.35, and the anemia alleviated group (30.78) was significantly higher than the non-alleviated group (19.38). Results of the multiple logistic regression analysis showed a strong relationship between anemia risk and self-management skills. The absence of anemia alleviation increased 2.51 times as the total score of the SMS decreased 1 point. CONCLUSION: There is an urgent need to develop an intervention program to alleviate post-partum anemia focusing on the low score items because self-management skills strongly affect alleviation improvement.