Abstract
Background: Burnout is a risk factor for nurse turnover and intent to leave. Burnout impacts nurse outcomes including incivility, fatigue, and decreased self-esteem, while patient outcomes are adversely impacted as well, including increased mortality, hospitalizations, and emergency department visits. The level of nursing education could impact nursing burnout and turnover.
Purpose: To examine the differences in self-reported burnout and level of education related to nurses:1) leaving their primary nursing position, 2) intent to leave primary position, 3) not working in nursing, and 4) employment change in the National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses (NSSRN).
Methods: The 2018 (pre-pandemic) NSSRN data was used to perform a cross-sectional, quantitative, descriptive secondary analysis. Inclusion was those with the highest licensure being an RN in at least one of the 50 states. Variables included age, gender, year since graduation, employment setting, level of education, intent to leave, and burnout. Frequencies on all study variables were performed and level of education and leaving due to burnout was examined with Chi-Square tests.
Results: After meeting inclusion criteria, the sample=52,255 nurses. The participants were mostly female (91.7%), aged 35-64(70.3%), hold an MSN as their highest nursing degree (49.2%), and worked in hospital settings (44.6%). BSN educated nurses reported significantly higher amounts of leaving their positions, intent to leave, not working in nursing, and employment change due to burnout than those with less education. However, the effect sizes were small.
Conclusions: Nurses with higher levels of nursing education are leaving their positions due to burnout. Organizational theory provides the framework to support the principle that organizational models impact nurse outcomes, therefore patient outcomes. Thus, more research is needed to understand the complex phenomenon that is nursing burnout and the role of level of education.
Policy implications: Future policies aimed at building the capacity to support nurses and prevent leaving requires understanding the multifactorial causes of nursing burnout.
Notes
Presenter notes available in attached slide deck.
References:
Aiken, L., Sochalski, J., & Lake, E.T. (1997). Studying outcomes of organizational change in health services. Medical Care, 35(11), NS6-NS18. http://doi.org/ 10.1097/00005650-199711001-00002
Guttormson, J.L., Calkins, K., McAndrew, N., Fitzgerald, J., Losurdo, H., & Loonsfoot, D. (2022). Critical care nurse burnout, moral distress, and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: A United States survey. Heart & Lung, 55, 127-133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrtlng.2022.04.015
Maslach, C & Jackson, S.E. (1981). The measurement of experienced burnout. Journal of Occupational Behaviour, 2, 99-113. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.4030020205
Juraschek, S.P., Zhang, X., Ranganathan, V., & Lin, V.W. (2019). United States registered nurse workforce report card and shortage forecast. Am J Med Qual., 34(5), 473-481.https:/doi.org/ 10.1177/1062860619873217.
Shah, M.K., Gandrakota, N., & Cimiotti, J.P. (2021). Prevalence of and factors associated with nurse burnout in the us. JAMA Netw Open, 4(2). https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.36469
Sagherian, K., Steege, L.M., Cobb, S.J., Cho, H. (2020). Insomnia, fatigue and psychosocial well-being during COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional survey of hospital nursing staff in the United States. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 00,1-14. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.15566
Sigma Membership
Alpha Alpha Rho
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Cross-Sectional
Research Approach
Quantitative Research
Keywords:
Professional Burnout, Personnel Retention, Intent to Leave, Educational Attainment, NSSRN, National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses
Recommended Citation
Webb, Bridget M. and Mallow, Jennifer, "Nursing Education & Burnout: Secondary Analysis of NSSRN" (2026). Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE). 85.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/chwe/2024/presentations_2024/85
Conference Name
Creating Healthy Work Environments
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Washington, DC, USA
Conference Year
2024
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All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2026-02-24
Nursing Education & Burnout: Secondary Analysis of NSSRN
Washington, DC, USA
Background: Burnout is a risk factor for nurse turnover and intent to leave. Burnout impacts nurse outcomes including incivility, fatigue, and decreased self-esteem, while patient outcomes are adversely impacted as well, including increased mortality, hospitalizations, and emergency department visits. The level of nursing education could impact nursing burnout and turnover.
Purpose: To examine the differences in self-reported burnout and level of education related to nurses:1) leaving their primary nursing position, 2) intent to leave primary position, 3) not working in nursing, and 4) employment change in the National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses (NSSRN).
Methods: The 2018 (pre-pandemic) NSSRN data was used to perform a cross-sectional, quantitative, descriptive secondary analysis. Inclusion was those with the highest licensure being an RN in at least one of the 50 states. Variables included age, gender, year since graduation, employment setting, level of education, intent to leave, and burnout. Frequencies on all study variables were performed and level of education and leaving due to burnout was examined with Chi-Square tests.
Results: After meeting inclusion criteria, the sample=52,255 nurses. The participants were mostly female (91.7%), aged 35-64(70.3%), hold an MSN as their highest nursing degree (49.2%), and worked in hospital settings (44.6%). BSN educated nurses reported significantly higher amounts of leaving their positions, intent to leave, not working in nursing, and employment change due to burnout than those with less education. However, the effect sizes were small.
Conclusions: Nurses with higher levels of nursing education are leaving their positions due to burnout. Organizational theory provides the framework to support the principle that organizational models impact nurse outcomes, therefore patient outcomes. Thus, more research is needed to understand the complex phenomenon that is nursing burnout and the role of level of education.
Policy implications: Future policies aimed at building the capacity to support nurses and prevent leaving requires understanding the multifactorial causes of nursing burnout.
Description
Examining the differences in self-reported burnout and level of education related to nurses: 1) leaving their primary nursing position, 2) intent to leave primary position, 3) not working in nursing, and 4) employment change in the National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses (NSSRN).