Effective Interventions for Nursing Student Burnout: A Scoping Review

BACKGROUND

Burnout in nursing students negatively impacts students' health, decreases academic success, increases attrition, and threatens the quality of patient care.

PURPOSE

To identify empiric research evaluating the effectiveness of interventions to prevent nursing student burnout.

METHODS

This scoping review examined the PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar databases to identify original studies evaluating burnout interventions in nursing students.

RESULTS

Of the 258 studies identified in the primary search, 208 were screened and 29 were selected for full-text review. Five quantitative reports and 1 qualitative study met the inclusion criteria. Effective interventions included recreational music-making, mindfulness-based and resilience education, integral-caring-holistic-science curriculum, Acceptance and Commitment Training, and progressive muscle relaxation. Statistically significant reductions in burnout were reported in all 5 of the quantitative studies.

CONCLUSION

This review demonstrates a need for further research. Burnout interventions should be embedded in the nursing curriculum to yield a more sustainable profession.

Impacts of Nursing Student Burnout on Psychological Well-Being and Academic Achievement

BACKGROUND

Burnout, depression, and suicide among health care professionals and learners have reached a rampant level. This systematic review aimed to synthesize literature findings of nursing student burnout and its impact on psychological well-being and academic performance.

METHOD

This systematic review followed PRISMA guidelines and included data-based studies on nursing student burnout published in peer-reviewed journals between January 2015 and January 2020.

RESULTS

This review included 17 articles. Four major themes were identified: 1) a negative relationship between burnout and student self-concept, 2) a negative association between burnout and student engagement, 3) risk factors contributing to student burnout, and 4) interventions to mitigate student burnout. Promoting positive self-concept, engagement, and resilience may alleviate student academic burnout.

CONCLUSION

Student burnout has negative influences on health and academics, and interventions to mitigate burnout should be considered early in nursing programs. Nurse educators can create an engaging learning environment to build resilience and reduce burnout. [J Nurs Educ. 2021;60(7):369-376.].