Empowering nurses: Psychotherapeutic properties in the prevention of burnout through phenomenological interpretative analysis (IPA)

Abstract


Introduction: This paper is part of a PhD thesis that explores the lived experience of burnout in Greek, female, pediatric nurses through Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), following the coronavirus pandemic. Nurses' burnout poses significant challenges for the management of health care facilities, particularly regarding their individual well-being and the quality of the services they provide to their patients. Aim: To investigate the efficacy of psychotherapeutic interventions, with a special focus on care, in the prevention and treatment of nurse burnout. By employing an active research process, this study directly benefits participating nurses, offering immediate interventions while also recontextualizing burnout as an empowering phenomenon. Design & Method: IPA qualitative analysis method is utilized to explore, the lived experience of burnout in pediatric nurses in their work context. The data is derived from semi-structured interviews of a 60 minutes duration. The interviews are conducted in a specially designed office and recorded with the consent of the participants. To maintain the homogeneity of the sample, essential in IPA studies, the participants, were selected based on specific criteria which are: gender, age, work experience, professional position, cultural culture, and belief of experiencing burnout. The data presented, derived from five interviews. Results: The analyses show that nurses, despite the mental and physical distress they experience, have not lost their caregiving role due to burnout. The affirmation of such an important element of their nursing identity has been both beneficial and empowering for them. Through the research process, where they expressed their difficulties, anxieties, and expectations, they reframed their feelings, and validated their experiences in a safe context. The collaborative nature of the IPA encouraged the researcher and participants to co-construct a shared meaning, synthesizing a new image of burnout of their own, and fostering a sense of empathy, empowerment, and hope. The active involvement of the researcher brings her insights into the phenomenon of burnout in nursing from the nurses themselves in real time, in their own workplace, enhancing their self-awareness, and positive meaning-making of their difficulties. These psychotherapeutic qualities, can be particularly beneficial for nurses who may feel stigmatized by burnout, marginalized or even unattended in their professional role.