To what extent do nurses and physicians working within the emergency department experience burnout: A review of the literature

Summary 

Aims

This paper reports a critical review of the literature examining burnout among nurses and physicians working in emergency departments. The objective was to draw together a diverse collection of literature to undertake an in-depth analyse of the issues raised by the review question.

Background

Burnout among nurses and physicians working in emergency departments has only been brought to the attention of researchers recently. It is thought that the highly stressful environment and unpredictable nature of the work puts nurses and physicians at risk of burnout.

Method

A literature review was undertaken using the electronic databases CINAHL and MEDLINE, Royal College of Nursing and British Medical Journal websites. The papers retrieved used quantitative and qualitative approaches and were scrutinised for relevance. Twelve articles met the inclusion criteria and corresponded to the aim of this review.

Conclusion

The findings of the review reinforce concerns about the adverse effects of burnout among nurses and physicians working in emergency departments. Future research in this field is recommended, particularly around the naturalistic paradigm, to gain a deeper insight into the lived experiences of emergency department nurses and physicians.

Keywords: Burnout, Stress, Emergency, Nursing, Physicians, Literature review