Burnout, nursing and trauma

Burnout syndrome is characterized by feeling overwhelmed by work, having impersonal feelings towards those one is providing services or care to, negative self-evaluation and a perception of reduced achievement. Burnout syndrome and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are common in hospital nurses and researchers from the University of Colorado and Emory University in Atlanta looked into this issue in a survey of 332 nurses. They found that 18% could be diagnosed with PTSD and 86% with burnout syndrome and that 98% of those with PTSD also had burnout syndrome. Nurses with burnout syndrome and PTSD were significantly more likely to have difficulty in their life outside work than those with burnout syndrome alone.

Mealer, Meredith ... [et al] - The prevalence and impact of post-traumatic stress disorder and burnout syndrome in nurses Depression and Anxiety December 2009, 26(12), 1118-1126