Occupational Burnout in Nurses Is due to Long‐Term Work Stress Rather Than COVID ‐19 Pandemic Event

作者：Yucheng Cao, Yanhong Dong, Leiyu Shi, Kathy Chappell, Zhijie Jia, Tingting Yan, Yu Gao · 发表于：Journal of Advanced Nursing · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1111/jan.17085 · 被引用次数：15 · 研究领域：Healthcare professionals’ stress and burnout、COVID-19 and Mental Health、Work-Family Balance Challenges

AIM: This study aims to explore occupational burnout among Chinese nurses from two perspectives: first, by comparing changes in emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and personal accomplishment before and after the COVID-19 pandemic; and second, by identifying long-term work-related stressors and structural factors contributing to burnout. DESIGN: A mixed-methods approach was adopted, combining a systematic review with qualitative interviews. The qualitative component involved semi-structured interviews with 53 hospital-employed nurses from various departments and regions across China, focusing on the three core dimensions of occupational burnout. METHODS: The systematic review included both Chinese and English-language studies published between 2016 and 2023 that used the Maslach Burnout Inventory to assess burnout among nurses. A total of 22 studies met the inclusion criteria, selected independently by two researchers using the JBI critical appraisal tool. In parallel, the qualitative interviews explored nurses' subjective experiences and coping strategies related to work stress, emotional fatigue and professional identity. RESULTS: = 2.747) before and after the pandemic. Qualitative findings revealed that burnout was primarily driven by long-standing systemic stressors, including promotion pressure, clinical workload, organisational demands and work-family conflict. Although many nurses relied on self-regulation strategies to maintain psychological stability, they contin...