Mediator effect of resilience between burnout and health in nursing staff

Aims: To determine the relationships between 3 burnout dimensions (Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalization, and Reduced Personal Accomplishment), health (physical and mental health), and resilience, as well as to analyse the mediator role of resilience in relationships between burnout and health in a sample of Nursing staff. Method: A correlational and cross-sectional study with probabilistic sampling was conducted on a sample of 194 Nursing staff of University Hospital of Fuenlabrada (Madrid), and composed of nurses (n-133) and nursing assistants (n =61). Instruments: MBI-HSS (burnout syndrome), SF-12v1 (physical and mental components of health), 10-Item CD-RISC (resilience), and sociodemographic variables. Results: Correlational analyses showed that mental health was negatively related with 3 burnout dimensions and positively with resilience. Furthermore, physical health was only negatively related with Emotional Exhaustion, and positively with resilience. Mediational analyses revealed that resilience mediated, on one hand, the relationship between Emotional Exhaustion and Depersonalization with mental health (partial mediation) and, on the other hand, the relationship between Reduced Personal Accomplishment and mental health (total mediation). Conclusions: Resilience is not only important to improve the mental health of Nursing staff, but also to buffer and minimize the negative consequences of the occupational stress to which they are at risk, with its most adverse result being signs of burnout. Therefore, resilience training should be promoted to improve nursing clinical practice. (C) 2014 Elsevier Espana, S.L.U. All rights reserved.