Early-career burnout among new graduate nurses: A prospective observational study of intra-individual change trajectories

Abstract

Background Newly qualified and inexperienced nurses are at particular risk of suffering emotional exhaustion and burnout in unsupportive practice environments. Despite new nurses' potential vulnerability, development of burnout after graduation has rarely been studied longitudinally and in relation to demographic and educational characteristics prior to working life entry, i.e. during education. Objectives To identify and compare typical change trajectories (i.e. common patterns of intra-individual development) in burnout symptoms for new graduate nurses annually over a three-year period, during which there was reason to believe that this group was especially vulnerable. Design A prospective longitudinal and national cohort of 1153 nurses within the population-based LANE study (Longitudinal Analyses of Nursing Education), where new graduate nurses were assessed four times annually, i.e. in their final year of nursing education and three times post graduation (after 1, 2 and 3 years). Participants A longitudinal sample of 997 respondents was prospectively followed. Methods Within-group changes in burnout levels were analysed using a repeated-measures analysis of variance, and cluster analytic techniques were used to identify typical trajectories of burnout. Results At group level, mean levels of burnout were rather stable across time. However, underlying these levels we identified eight change trajectories, explaining 74% of all individual variation; seven of them reflected significant changes across time. Almost every fifth nurse reported extremely high levels of burnout at some point during their first three years after graduation. Changes in burnout levels were accompanied by concurrent changes in depressive symptoms and intention to leave the profession. This study also showed that negative development of burnout was predicted by not feeling well prepared for a nursing job, lacking study interest, high levels of performance-based self-esteem and depressive mood in the final year of education. Conclusions An investigation of burnout symptoms over time disclosed numerous development patterns, some of which were stable while others changed significantly. Hence, this study gave a more nuanced picture of burnout development among new graduate nurses, highlighted by eight different trajectories. Regarding the time frame, nearly every second new graduate showed a significant increase in levels of burnout during their second year post graduation.