Job stress, achievement motivation and occupational burnout among male nurses.
OBJECTIVE
This paper is a report of an exploration of job stress, achievement motivation and occupational burnout in male nurses and to identify predictors of occupational burnout.


BACKGROUND
Since the Nightingale era, the nursing profession has been recognized as 'women's work'. The data indicate that there are more female nurses than male nurses in Taiwan. However, the turnover rate for male nurses is twice that of female nurses. Understanding the factors that affect occupational burnout of male nurses may help researchers find ways to reduce the likelihood that they will quit.


METHODS
A survey was conducted in Taiwan in 2008 using a cross-sectional design. A total of 121 male nurses participated in the study. Mailed questionnaires were used to collect data, which were analysed using descriptive statistics and stepwise multiple regression.


RESULTS
The job stress of male nurses was strongly correlated with occupational burnout (r = 0.64, P < 0.001). Stepwise multiple regression analyses indicated that job stress was the only factor to have a statistically significant direct influence on occupational burnout, accounting for 45.8% of the variance in this. Job stress was comprised of three dimensions, of which role conflict accounted for 40.8% of the variance in occupational burnout.


CONCLUSIONS
The contribution of job stress to occupational burnout of male nurses was confirmed. As occupational burnout may influence the quality of care by these nurses, nurse managers should strive to decrease male nurses' job stress as this should lead to a reduction of negative outcomes of occupational burnout.
Hsu
Hsiu-Yueh
HY
Department of Nursing, Meiho Institute of Technology, Pingtung, Taiwan.
Chen
Sheng-Hwang
SH
Yu
Hsing-Yi
HY
Lou
Jiunn-Horng
JH
D000328:Adult; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004651:Employment / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D009727:Nurses, Male / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology*; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult