AGEIST ATTITUDES AND THEIR ASSOCIATION WITH BURNOUT AND JOB SATISFACTION AMONG NURSING STAFF: A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY

Introduction: The various factors affecting burnout and job satisfaction among nursing staff have yet to be clearly identified. Accordingly, this study examines one of those potential factors, ageist attitudes, and its relation with burnout and job satisfaction among nursing home employees. Materials and Method: This was a cross sectional multi-center study which was conducted in 2017. Ageism was evaluated using the Ageism Attitude Scale (subscales: restricting life of the elderly, positive ageism, and negative ageism); burnout level was evaluated using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (subscales: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal satisfaction); and job satisfaction was evaluated using the Short-Form Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire. Correlation between variables were analyzed Spearman Correlation test. Results: Positive ageism was positively correlated with personal accomplishment and job satisfaction scores (p<.05) and negatively correlated with depersonalization (p<.05). Short-Form Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire scores were negatively correlated with emotional exhaustion and depersonalization and positively correlated with personal accomplishment variables (p<.05). Conclusion: Ageism negatively impacts not only elderly individuals but also the nursing staff who care for them. Educational programs to prevent ageism should be evaluated for efficiency and implemented if proven to be beneficial.