Burnout as a developmental process among Japanese nurses: Investigation of Leiter's model

Abstract

Aim: The first object of the present study was to compare Leiter and Maslach's original model (1988) and the revised model (proposed by Leiter in 1991). The second object was to ascertain whether the process model of burnout proposed by Leiter in 1993 is applicable to Japanese nurses. Workload demand, role conflict, and interpersonal conflict were selected as organizational demands, and supervisor support, coworker support, and occupational decision authority as resources. Methods: The subjects were Japanese clinical nurses (n = 238) working at a municipal general hospital. One hundred and eighty‐three effective data was obtained. The hypotheses were tested using structural equation analysis. Results: The results supported the revised model which maintained the sequential link from exhaustion to cynicism, but recast the relationship of professional efficacy with another two components of burnout. The hypothesized model was revised based on findings and re‐analysed. The organizational demands exhibited a significant positive correlation to exhaustion. Cynicism exhibited a negative correlation to supervisor support. The job decision authority exhibited a positive correlation to professional efficacy. However, the hypothesis that supervisor support exhibits a positive correlation to professional efficacy was not supported. Conclusions: Leiter's process model of burnout is conceptualized based on the conservation of resources (COR) theory. The results of the present study were reasonably in line with the COR theory. It was suggested that Leiter's model should be applicable to Japanese nurses.