Graduation Semester and Year
Fall 2025
Language
English
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work
Department
Social Work
First Advisor
Donna L. Schuman
Second Advisor
Christine Spadola
Third Advisor
Catherine LaBrenz
Fourth Advisor
Aaron T. Hagedorn
Abstract
Burnout is an exhausted state of the body, mind, and emotions, characterized by feelings of “depersonalization and reduced personal accomplishment” resulting from prolonged and continuous occupational stress. Burnout among nurses in the United States (U.S.) is a growing concern with significant implications for healthcare professionals and patient outcomes. Nurse burnout compromises patient safety and workforce stability, but pre-pandemic national correlates remain understudied. This dissertation examined employment settings and demographic correlates of burnout among U.S. nurses using the National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses (NSSRN) secondary datasets. Compared inpatient burnout odds pre-/post-pandemic using national twin surveys. Jackknife complex survey logistic regression analyzed burnout correlates, accounting for NSSRN's complex design. Multivariable models controlled for age, race, sex, marital status, education, veteran status, dependents, and degree type. Burnout prevalence was 28.12% overall in 2018 and 29.75% in 2022, with inpatient nurses reporting 148% in 2018 and 165% in 2022, higher odds versus outpatient settings. Inpatient settings emerged as the strongest pre-pandemic burnout driver, representing a national crisis affecting nearly half the workforce. The pandemic escalated inpatient burnout by 14.7% and inpatient settings burnout is the strongest correlate, while US graduates, adult dependents, and veteran status had lower odds and marginal. Inpatient settings emerged as the strongest pre-pandemic burnout driver, representing a national crisis affecting nearly half the workforce. Targeted interventions for inpatient nurses, older workers, racial minorities, and women are urgently needed. Social work is also a stressful occupation, and like healthcare professionals, they also experience physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion resulting from continued and extreme stress. The existing body of literature on social work burnout offers a wealth of innovative strategies, which this dissertation draws upon to inform its theoretical framework and intervention design. Inpatient wellness programs, mandatory respite rotations, acuity-adjusted staffing, and age/race-specific interventions can prevent burnout among nurses.
Keywords
burnout, nurses, nursing profession, social work.
Disciplines
Nursing | Social Work
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Ohri, Faheem, "Burnout among nurses in the United States" (2025). Social Work Dissertations. 198.
https://mavmatrix.uta.edu/socialwork_dissertations/198