Nursing students’ academic burnout: its prevalence and association with self-efficacy, psychological distress, and quality of learning experience
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Introduction
Academic burnout is a prevalent issue affecting students across different disciplines, including nursing students. Academic burnout negatively impacts students’ clinical performance, patient satisfaction, and care quality.
Aim
This study aimed at examining the differences in the mean scores of students’ academic burnout on their demographic characteristics, and evaluating the relationship between academic burnout, self-efficacy, psychological distress, and quality of learning experience among undergraduate nursing students.
Methodology
A cross-sectional design with a purposive sampling technique was used to conduct the study. The questionnaire was sent through Microsoft Forms including demographic questions, Maslach-Burnout Inventory- Student Survey, General Self-Efficacy Survey, Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, and Quality of Learning Experience Scale to measure the variables.
Results
The total number of participants was 286 nursing students. The results depicted statistically significant effects of three different English proficiency levels on academic burnout F(2, 283) = 4.328, p =.014), program of study (t(284) = 2.270, p =.024, 91% CI: 0.55 to 10.45), GPA (t(284) = 2.011, p =.045, 95% CI: − 0.05 and 9.52), interest in the field of nursing (t(284)=-3.855, p <.001, 95% CI: -16.79 and − 4.83, and support from friends (t(284)=-2.626, p =.009, 95%CI: 95% CI: -13.58 and − 1.92. Nursing students reported moderate levels of self-efficacy (M = 30.22, SD = 5.62), academic burnout (M = 42.08, SD = 17.84), and quality of learning experience (M = 58.97, SD = 11.19). However, the participants reported severe psychological distress (M = 32.20, SD = 9.75). Academic burnout was negatively correlated with self-efficacy ( r =-.514, p <.001), psychological distress ( r =-.585, p <.001), and the quality of learning experience ( r =-.407, p <.001). The weakest correlation with students’ academic burnout was the overall quality of learning experience, while the strongest correlation was psychological distress.
Conclusion
Our results suggest that academic institutions should ensure realistic academic workloads and expectations that align with students’ capabilities while avoiding excessive coursework or unrealistic deadlines. Time management skills, coping strategies, problem-solving, goal setting and prioritization should be incorporated into the programs to help students develop a balanced approach to reduce academic burnout and psychological distress.
Clinical trial number
Not applicable.
