Predictors and outcomes of occupational burnout: a five-wave longitudinal study
Date
2013
Authors
Lancaster, Paige Gardner, author
Chen, Peter Y., advisor
Gibbons, Alyssa, committee member
Henry, Kim, committee member
Rosecrance, John, committee member
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Abstract
The current study investigated both intraindividual and interindividual change in occupational burnout in a sample of early-career nurses. This research utilizes Conservation of Resources theory in order to understand the trajectory of burnout over time, whether burnout predicts important outcomes for individuals and organizations, and whether burnout can be predicted by personality traits and recovery experiences. Nursing students were surveyed three times during their nursing program and an additional two times after they began their employment. Latent growth models were used to investigate the trajectory of burnout, assess variance in both the initial status and rate of change in burnout, and examine covariances of the rates of change of burnout with health, job attitudes, and recovery experiences. Autoregressive models provided additional information about the direction of relationships between burnout and these variables. Results indicated that average burnout levels declined during nursing school but then began to increase when the nurses entered their careers. Burnout predicted declines in physical health and satisfaction with the occupation, and reciprocal relationships between burnout and mental health were observed. Personality traits were related to the participants' initial burnout levels, and engaging in psychological detachment during time away from work was associated subsequent decline in burnout. Implications, directions for future research, and limitations are discussed.
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Subject
burnout
longitudinal