Coping with Professional Burnout

Nursing is among the caring professions which are significantly affected by the painful burnout syndrome. Aim: An investigation was made of the causes of job burnout at the individual and the organizational levels, and the ways of coping with it. Results: The study showed that dealing with job burnout demands radical changes in the relationship of nurses with their work, awareness of the causes of burnout, consideration of beliefs and expectancies, and changes concerning their attitudes towards life and work. There is a need for a working culture in nursing that supports the development of a robust professional identity, which in turn makes possible the awareness and handling of the contradictions involved in everyday nursing practice. Conclusions: Recovery from job burnout is possible, and indeed it can lead a nurse to greater self-awareness. Dealing with burnout is not the responsibility of the individual nurse but of the entire organization, which should have a single set of values and objectives.