Search

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictors of burnout in female nurses during the first wave of the COVID‐19 pandemic. It also sought to evaluate the relationship between each of the variables studied (anxiety, depression, sociodemographic and COVID‐19 variables) and the dimensions of the burnout. Background: One of the groups of health care workers worst affected by the COVID‐19 crisis has been women working as nursing staff, due to the high percentage they account for at a global level and their direct contact with infected patients. Design: This was a cross‐sectional, quantitative study. Methods: Four hundred forty‐four Spanish female nurses from hospital and primary health care centres took part in the study. The data were obtained in 2020 by means of an online survey. Results: Symptoms of depression are a common predictor variable to all the dimensions of burnout, whereas symptoms of anxiety predict emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. Age and years of experience in the job predict depersonalization, whereas the probability of contracting the infection is a predictor variable of emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment. Conclusion: Predictor variables should be considered in the creation of prevention and intervention plans to reduce the levels of burnout in female nurses. Summary statement: What is already known about this topic? During the COVID‐19 pandemic, nurses have been exposed to high levels of burnout. Research has shown that nurses experience high levels of anxiety and depression in pandemics, in comparison with other job positions in the health care sector.Being a woman and having certain previous psychological conditions (symptoms of anxiety and depression) are predictors of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. What this paper adds? This research focuses on female nurses, and makes an important contribution given the lack of studies that assess these variables from a gender perspective.Symptoms of depression have been identified as a common predictor variable of the three dimensions of burnout in female nurses during the pandemic, but anxiety only predicts emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, not personal accomplishment.Age and years of experience in the job predict depersonalization, whereas the probability of contracting the infection is a predictor of emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment. The implications of this paper for practice: The probability of contracting the infection, years of experience as a nurse and age are variables related to higher levels of burnout in female nurses.Absence of depression symptoms is associated with low levels of the three dimensions of burnout, whereas anxiety only predicts depersonalization and personal accomplishment: the implications of this should be considered in developing preventive programmes for burnout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]