Nurse Burnout and Patient Safety Outcomes: Nurse Safety Perception Versus Reporting Behavior
Abstract
This article examines the relationship between nurse burnout and patient safety indicators, including both safety perceptions and reporting behavior. Based on the Conservation of Resources model of stress and burnout, it is predicted that burnout will negatively affect both patient safety perceptions and perceived likelihood of reporting events. Nurses from a Veteran's Administration hospital completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory and safety outcomes subset of measures from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Patient Safety Culture measure. After controlling for work-related demographics, multiple regression analysis supported the prediction that burnout was associated with the perception of lower patient safety. Burnout was not associated with event-reporting behavior but was negatively associated with reporting of mistakes that did not lead to adverse events. The findings extend previous research on the relationship between burnout and patient outcomes and offer avenues for future research on how nurse motivation resources are invested in light of their stressful work environment.
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When nurses were experiencing high levels of Depersonalisation, they were less likely to report near misses.
“and when they were experiencing high levels of Depersonalisation, they were less likely to report near misses [112]”
From Burnout in nursing: a theoretical review. (2020) · cites this paper as [112]
Emotional Exhaustion and Depersonalisation are both associated with negative patient safety grades and safety perceptions.
“Emotional Exhaustion and Depersonalisation were both associated with negative patient safety grades and safety perceptions [112]”
From Burnout in nursing: a theoretical review. (2020) · cites this paper as [112]
When nurses were experiencing high levels of Emotional Exhaustion, they were less likely to report near misses and adverse events.
“When nurses were experiencing high levels of Emotional Exhaustion, they were less likely to report near misses and adverse events”
From Burnout in nursing: a theoretical review. (2020) · cites this paper as [112]
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“In addition to their significant zero-order correlations with other variables in the study, tenure and hours were included as control variables based on past research suggesting that they may be associated with burnout and safety perceptions and thus should be controlled in this type of study (cf. Halbesleben & Buckle…”
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- Authors
- Halbesleben, J. R. B., Wakefield, B. J., Wakefield, D. S., & Cooper, L. B.
- Affiliations
- University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire (US)
- Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans' Hospital (US)
- University of Missouri (US)
- Corresponding author
- Halbesleben, Jonathon R. B.
- Venue
- Western Journal of Nursing Research
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2008-08
- Volume
- 30
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 560-577
- ISSN
- 0193-9459 (ISSN-L)
- 1552-8456
- OpenAlex
- W2127786713
- Cited by
- 236
- References
- 6
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 26 · 2020: 19 · 2019: 20 · 2018: 19 · 2017: 14 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 16 · 2014: 16 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 8
- FWCI
- 17.41
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Western Journal of Nursing Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Healthcare professionals’ stress and burnout
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Emergency Medical Services › Patient Safety and Medication Errors
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Occupational Therapy › Occupational Health and Burnout
- Keywords
- nurse burnout, patient safety, patient safety culture, conservation of resources model, event reporting, adverse event reporting, perceived safety, nurse stress, Veterans Affairs hospitals, Maslach Burnout Inventory
- MeSH terms
- Attitude of Health Personnel, Burnout, Professional, Cross-Sectional Studies, Health Facility Environment, Hospitals, Veterans, Humans, Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, Models, Psychological, Motivation, Nursing Staff, Hospital, Personality Inventory, Surveys and Questionnaires, Regression Analysis, Risk Management, Truth Disclosure, Midwestern United States, Organizational Culture, Nursing Methodology Research, Outcome Assessment, Health Care, Safety Management, Medical Errors, Quality Indicators, Health Care
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