Relationship between Job Burnout, Interpersonal Conflicts and Intentions to Leave

Abstract

Deficiency of nurses is one of the very prominent issues in many countries. A high turnover rate among nurses is contributing to the deficit; interpersonal conflicts, job burnout, and intentions to leave. All these have been identified as the predictors of nurses’ turnover. The evidence demonstrates that the working conditions for nurses certainly influence nurses’ interpersonal conflicts, burnout and intentions to leave. From the best of the researchers knowledge the relationship of these variables in a single model has not been investigated worldwide. For investigating the mediating role of job burnout in the relationship between interpersonal conflicts and intentions, a cross-sectional research design was utilized in this study. The data was collected from 232 nurses of public and private teaching hospitals in Lahore, Pakistan. Three standardized scales were used: the Interpersonal Conflicts Scale, the Job Burnout Scale and the Intentions to leave Scale. The nurses working in the hospitals with less intentions to leave have significantly less interpersonal conflicts and job burnout. Moreover, job burnout partially mediates the relationship of interpersonal conflicts and intentions to leave. Results of demographic data show that number of female nurses is overwhelmingly more with none from top level management. The nurses’ intentions to leave are a significant concern. They can be facilitated by reducing the nurses’ interpersonal conflicts and job burnout in Pakistani teaching hospitals. Interpersonal conflicts and ‘intentions to leave’ partially mediate job burnout. Reducing interpersonal conflicts for nurses may decrease burnout and intentions to leave. Hence, focusing on these research outcomes, it is likely to retain nurses in the hospitals. This research may help policymakers and health managers to minimize interpersonal conflicts and job burnout. They can make policies to employ more women especially men in nursing profession to overcome the shortage. They may also encourage the nursing staff to compete for top level management. Future research can be extended beyond interpersonal conflicts, job burnout and intentions to leave