Work-Related Factors as Predictors of Burnout in Serbian Nurses Working in Hemodialysis

Abstract

Nurses who work in hemodialysis (HD) are considered highly susceptible to burnout due to their close relationship with incurable patients and handling sophisticated machinery. A total of 210 nurses from 12 state-owned HD centers in the Republic of Serbia anonymously completed a background information questionnaire providing factual data on nurses' socio-demographic characteristics and working conditions using the Maslach Burnout Inventory Health Services Survey. Almost half of the nurses (42.9%) were experiencing burnout. High emotional exhaustion, high depersonalization, and low level of personal accomplishment were present in 40.9%, 8.6%, and 31.3% of nurses, respectively. The number of children, involuntary choice of current position, and unwillingness to choose the same type of job again were significant predictors of burnout. Our population of nurses working in HD was more affected by emotional exhaustion than their colleagues in other countries, but maintained high level of empathy and feeling of personal accomplishment.