Study Shows Link Between Nurse Burnout and Infections

October 17, 2012

Pennsylvania residents staying in hospitals hope for a safe and healthy experience. However, there is always a risk of developing an infection while in the hospital. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention says that each year around 100,000 patients die from hospital-acquired infections.

Nurses commonly complain about heavy patient load and burnout. A new study shows that these problems affect patients as well as nurses. The study reveals a link between nurse burnout and hospital-acquired infections.

The study was conducted by researchers from the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. Around 7,000 nurses in 161 hospitals in Pennsylvania were analyzed. More than one-third reported high levels of work related burnout.

For every extra patient added to a nurse's workload, there was around one additional hospital-acquired infection per 1,000 patients. The study's lead author says even one infection is too many and stresses that these issues must be addressed.

The study also found that for each ten percent increase in the proportion of nurses reporting high burnout, there was approximately one extra catheter-associated urinary tract infection per 1,000 patients. Additionally, there were two additional surgical site infections per 1,000 patients.

It was also noted that reducing levels of nurse burnout saves money and reduces infections. A thirty percent reduction in burnout resulted in 4,000 fewer urinary tract infections and over 2,000 fewer surgical site infections.

Nurses experience high levels of stress and burnout due to the nature of their job. They deal with matters of life and death each day. A high number of patient deaths on any given day may contribute to burnout and lead to an increased risk of negligence.

This leads to emotional exhaustion. Emotional exhaustion is defined as cognitive and emotional detachment from work. It is used as a defense mechanism against the burdens and responsibilities of a job.

Increased numbers of hospital-acquired infections pose risks to patients because their chances of developing a serious illness are increased. In some cases, the infections can even result in death.

The authors of the study say these results are significant. They estimate that if the proportion of burned out nurses could be reduced from thirty percent to ten percent, it could prevent over 4,000 infections. It would also save around $41 million dollars.

The study encouraged hospitals to implement certain procedural changes to reduce nurse burnout. These include educating nurses about burnout, giving performance feedback, and providing ample social support.

An individual who suffers a hospital-acquired infection due to negligence may be entitled to compensation. An experienced personal injury attorney can provide knowledge and guidance and assist with obtaining any available compensation.

Article provided by Hal Waldman & Associates
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