Burnout, Coping and Patient-interaction among Nursing Students

Abstract

Burnout is on the rise in the academic sector with major technological advancements and changes in academic curriculums, and the effects of burnout are evident in the medical sector. Nursing students are a group that is affected by burnout, and the coping strategies vary according to individual characteristics. Burnout and coping strategies employed by nursing students could have an effect on patient interaction in their clinical practice, which could impact patient and also student well-being. The study aims to understand the relationship between Burnout, Coping and Patient interaction among nursing students. Students pursuing B.Sc. nursing in their second, third, and fourth year were the sample for the study (N=300; females=261, males=39). Purposive sampling was used for data collection from samples. Copenhagen Burnout Inventory- Student version, BRIEF Cope, and Caring Nurse-Patient Interaction Scale-23 items (nurse version), were the self-report measures used for data collection. Pearson correlation and regression analyses using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (version 25) were done to analyze data. The correlation analyses showed that there exists a significant positive relationship among the three variables, that is, burnout, coping, and patient interaction, among nursing students. The regression analyses showed that both burnout and coping had a significant influence on patient interaction among nursing students. Burnout and Coping could have a positive influence on patient interaction among students, and therefore, the effect of these factors needs to be understood to gain positive results out of the feelings of burnout and the coping strategies that students employ.