Emotional reactivity and burnout in clinical nurses

INTRODUCTION: Nurses are exposed to a variety of factors that can create emotional challenges and increase the risk of burnout. This study was designed to examine the relationship between emotional reactivity and burnout among clinical nurses.
METHODS: This correlational and cross-sectional study was conducted at a university hospital. The sample consisted of 199 nurses. The data were collected using a sociodemographic characteristics questionnaire, the Emotion Reactivity Scale (ERS), and the Burnout Measure-Short Form (BM-SF).
RESULTS: The study participants had a mean BM-SF and ERS score of 35.85±11.42 and 41.78±8.50, respectively. They had a mean ERS emotional sensitivity, emotional intensity, and emotional persistence subscale score of 13.94±3.45, 11.46±2.54, and 16.36±3.71, respectively. There was a positive correlation between the BM-SF and ERS scores (p<0.001).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Clinical nurses often experience conditions that can trigger emotional reactivity and individuals who dis-play greater emotional reactivity tend to have a higher degree of burnout. It is important that institutions and governing bodies provide nurses with training related to emotion recognition and expression to help them develop coping skills and psychological resilience.