Burnout Among Nurses Working in Critical Care Units in Africa: An Integrative Review

Abstract

Background: Burnout is a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been effectively managed. The level of burnout that is experienced by nurses varies according to geographical region and specialties, such as paediatric and critical care nursing. However, little is known about burnout among nurses in African critical care units.

Aim: To explore the available evidence on burnout among nurses in African critical care units.

Methods: The review was guided by the Whittemore and Knafl framework for integrative review. Literature was searched in Web of Science, Embase, PubMed, and SCOPUS databases. The search strategy applied Boolean operators AND, OR using the following key terms: critical care nurses, burnout, and Africa. The alternative keywords were: nurs*, OR intensive care nurses OR Critical Care Nursing OR Intensive Care Nursing OR critical care nurs* AND “burnout syndrom*depersonalis/zation” OR “emotional exhaustion, workplace stress, Occupational Stresses, Professional Stress, Job-related Stress” AND specific names of the African countries.

Findings: The review included eighteen articles. Two hundred and forty-nine nurses (n = 2,249) who work in critical care settings participated in the studies. The findings showed that nurses in critical care settings experience moderate to high levels of burnout, with emotional exhaustion being a common characteristic. Burnout is associated with factors related to the individual, work, and organization. The consequences of burnout include secondary traumatic stress, intention to leave the job, and increased risk of infection to the patient.

Conclusions: The review has significant implications for nursing at various levels. The findings provided could inform future research and interventions to reduce burnout among critical care nurses in Africa.