Abstract
This study examined how job stress and work support predict the experience of burnout and how burnout is related to absenteeism and job performance in a sample of 73 registered nurses. The current study expanded on previous findings by including supervisor ratings of performance and employee records of absenteeism in addition to self-report measures. It also examined the extent to which burnout may mediate the relationships of job stress and social support with these performance indicators. Analyses indicated that levels of work support and job stress were both significant predictors of burnout. Additionally, higher burnout levels were significantly associated with poorer self-rated and supervisor-rated job performance, more sick leave, and more reported absences for mental health reasons. Finally, further analyses suggest that level of burnout served as a mediator of the relationships between social support and self-rated job performance, absences for mental health reasons, and intentions to quit. The findings suggest that burnout not only may negatively impact healthcare providers, but also may influence objective absenteeism and supervisor perceptions of employee performance.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Anderson, J. G. (1991). Stress and burnout among nurses: A social network approach.J. Soc. Behav. Pers. 6: 251–272.
Baron, R. M., and Kenny, D. A. (1986). The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic and statistical considerations.J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 51: 1173–1182.
Ben-Sira, Z. (1976). The function of the professional's affective behavior in client satisfaction: A revised approach to social interaction theory.J. Health Soc. Behav. 17: 3–11.
Boyle, A., Grap, M. J., Younger, J., and Thornby, D. (1991). Personality hardiness, ways of coping, social support, and burnout in critical care nurses.J. Adv. Nurs. 16: 850–857.
Buerhaus, P. I. (1994). Capitalizing on the recession's effect on hospital RN shortages.Hop. Health Serv. Admin. 39: 47–62.
Campbell, D. T., and Fiske, D. W. (1959). Convergent and discriminant validity of the multitrait-multimethod matrix.Psychol. Bull. 56: 81–105.
Cobb, S. (1976). Social support as a moderator of life stress.Psychosom. Med. 38: 300–314.
Cohen, J., and Cohen, P. (1975).Applied Multiple Regression/Correlation Analyses for the Behavioral Sciences, Erlbaum, Hillsdale, NJ.
Cohen, S., and Wills, T. A. (1985). Stress, social support and the buffering hypothesis.Psychol. Bull. 98: 310–357.
Constable, J. F., and Russell, D. W. (1986). The effect of social support and the work environment upon burnout among nurses.J. Hum. Stress 12: 20–26.
Costa, P. T., and McCrae, R. R. (1985). Hypochondriasis, neuroticsim, and aging.Am. Psychol. 40: 19–28.
Cronin-Stubbs, D., and Rooks, C. A. (1985). The stress, social support, and burnout of critical care nurses: The results of research.Heart Lung 14: 31–39.
Fenner, K. M. (1988). Nursing shortage: Harbinger of increased litigation.Nurs. Manage. 19: 44–55.
Firth, H., and Britton, P. (1989). Burnout, absence and turnover amongst British nursing staff.J. Occup. Psychol. 62: 55–59.
Freudenberger, H. J. (1974). Staff burnout.J. Soc. Issues 30: 159–165.
Garden, A. M. (1991). Relationship between burnout and performance.,Psychol. Rep. 68: 963–977.
Gray-Toft, P., and Anderson, J. G. (1981a). Stress among hospital nursing staff: Its causes and effects.Soc. Sci. Med. 15: 639–647.
Gray-Toft, P., and Anderson, J. G. (1981b). The nursing stress scale: Development of an instrument.J. Behav. Assess. 3: 11–23.
Green, D. G., and Walkey, F. H. (1988). A confirmation of the three-factor structure of the Maslach Burnout Inventory.Educ. Psychol. Meas. 48: 579–585.
Hills, H., and Norvell, N. (1991). An examination of hardiness and neuroticism as potential moderators of stress outcomes.Behav. Med. 17: 31–38.
House, J. S. (1981).Work Stress and Social Support, Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA.
House, J. S., and Wells, J. A. (1978). Occupational stress, social support, and health. In McLean G., Black, G., and Colligan, M. (eds.),Reducing Occupational Stress (U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare Publication No. NIOSH 78-243), U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC.
Jackson, S. E., Schwab, R. L., and Schuler, R. S. (1986). Toward an understanding of the burnout phenomenon.J. Appl. Psychol. 71: 630–640.
Jones, J. W. (1981).The Burnout Syndrome, London House Press, Park Ridge, IL.
Kirkcaldy, B., Thome, E., and Thomas, W. (1989). Job satisfaction amongst psychosocial workers.Pers. Indiv. Diff. 10: 191–196.
Koeske, G. F., and Koeske, R. D. (1989). Construct validity of the Maslach Burnout Inventory: A critical review and reconceptualization.J. Appl. Behav. Sci. 25: 131–143.
Lazaro, L., Shinn, M., and Robinson, P. E. (1984). Burnout, performance and job withdrawal behavior.J. Health Hum. Resources Adm. 7: 213–234.
Maslach, C. (1982). Understanding burnout: Definitional issues in analyzing a complex phenomenon. In Paine, W. S. (Ed.),Job Stress and Burnout, Sage, Beverly Hills, CA.
Maslach, C., and Jackson, S. E. (1986).Maslach Burnout Inventory Manual, 2nd ed., Consulting Psychologists Press, Palo Alto, CA.
Morano, J. (1993). The relationship of workplace social support to perceived, work-related stress among staff nurses.J. Post Anesth. Nurs. 8: 395–402.
Oehler, J. M., and Davidson, M. G. (1992). Job stress and burnout in acute and nonacute pediatric nurses.Am. J. Crit. Care 1: 81–90.
Oehler, J. M., Davidson, M. G., Starr, L. E., and Lee, D. A (1991). Burnout, job stress, anxiety, and perceived social support in neonatal nurses.Heart Lung 20: 500–505.
Ogus, E. D. (1990). Burnout and social support systems among ward nurses.Issues Ment. Health Nurs. 11: 267–281.
Revicki, D. A., and May, H. J. (1989). Organizational characteristics, occupational stress, and mental health in nurses.Behav. Med. 15: 30–36.
Russell, D. W., Altmaier, E., and Van Velzen, D. (1987). Job-related stress, social support, and burnout among hospital teachers.J. Appl. Psychol. 2: 269–274.
Taunton, R. L., Kleinbeck, S. V., Stafford, R., Woods, C. Q., and Bott, M. J. (1994). Patient outcomes: Are they linked to registered nurse absenteeism, separation, or workload?.J. Nurs. Adm. 24: 48–55.
Taylor, J. A. (1953). A personality score of manifest anxiety.J. Abnorm. Soc. Psychol. 48: 285–290.
Watson, D., and Clark, L. A. (1984). Negative affectivity: The disposition to experience aversive emotional states.Psychol. Bull. 96: 465–490.
Watson, D., and Pennebaker, J. W. (1989). Health complaints, stress, and distress: Exploring the central role of negative affectivity.Psychol. Rev. 96: 234–254.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Parker, P.A., Kulik, J.A. Burnout, self- and supervisor-rated job performance, and absenteeism among nurses. J Behav Med 18, 581–599 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01857897
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01857897