Work-related factors and age as determinants of three burnout dimensions among Polish hospital nurses

The aim of the current study was to investigate which of the examined work-related factors was regarded as the most demanded and stimulating in nurses’ job, and which of the age--related factors were the predictors of the three burnout dimensions: emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP), and reduced personal accomplishment (rPA). This study was structured as a cross-sectional project, and the data were gathered using ananonymous questionnaires in 4 hospitals in Poland. The sample consisted of 237 nurses. According to the nurses studied, the most strained factors in their job were low salaries and current bad situation of the Polish health service, and the most stimulating– working in the pleasant atmosphere and patients’ satisfaction. The highest score of emotional exhaustion and reduced personal accomplishment were characteristic of nurses above 40 years of age. Burnout syndrome was predicted by socio-organization environment requirements (EE, DP), sensory and mental task requirements (EE), organizational conditions (EE, rPA), job control (DP), social/communication condition (DP, rPA), and age (EE).