Abstract
BACKGROUND: Nurse faculty burnout is a growing concern in the United States. There are limited studies exploring the level of burnout in nursing faculty. PURPOSE: To assess the prevalence of burnout among nurse faculty in undergraduate and graduate programs and its relationship with specific demographic and organizational variables. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional research design was employed to examine the level of burnout of nursing faculty. An internet-based survey was administered to nursing faculty in over 1000 schools of nursing in the United States. Burnout was measured using the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory. RESULTS: A total of 3556 surveys were returned. Among all participants, most of the sample exhibited moderate levels of burnout, exhaustion, and disengagement. Based on the findings from the OBI, a moderate/high exhaustion level was reported in 85.5 % of participants, while disengagement was moderate/high in 84.9 %, and overall burnout was at moderate/high levels in 85.2 % of the nursing faculty. CONCLUSIONS: The nation's nurse faculty population is experiencing a moderate to high level of burnout, exhaustion, and disengagement. Academic nursing leaders are encouraged to identify ways and take action to reduce faculty burnout and promote faculty wellness and resilience.
