The Relationships Between Nurses’ Resilience, Burnout, Perceived Organisational Support And Social Support During The Second Wave Of The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Quantitative Cross-Sectional Survey

Aims: To examine the level of resilience and burnout among British nurses during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and the influence of personal, social, and organisational factors on nurses’ resilience and burnout. Background: Nurses experienced excessive workload and emotional demands over a prolonged period during the COVID-19 pandemic which may have led to exhaustion. Little research has examined the correlation between the pandemic variables, nurses’ resilience, and burnout during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Design: This study utilised a descriptive, cross-sectional research design. Methods: A cross-sectional and self-report survey involved 111 staff nurses, who completed a self-administrated questionnaire between January and April 2021. A STORBE checklist was used to report the study results. Findings: The study found that nurses experienced a high level of burnout and low to moderate levels of resilience. The study revealed significant negative relationships between the level of burnout and perceived organisational support and nurses’ resilience. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on nurses’ social roles and their worries about patient safety were positively correlated with burnout. The perceived organisational support, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on nurses’ social roles, and the level of resilience were significant factors for burnout. Conclusions: Nurses experienced a high level of burnout during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, which may be influenced by how they felt their organisations supported them. Nurses’ feelings that the pandemic affected their social roles were associated with increasing their burnout. Relevance to clinical practice: Strategies should be developed to address staff burnout and resilience. Nurse managers and educators should play leadership roles in creating professional training to include competencies and psychological preparedness for disasters and to implement strategies to increase the organisational commitments to staff safety and wellbeing. No Patient or Public Contribution There was no active public or patient involvement in this study. The study explored nurses’ burnout during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The idea came from a discussion of the lead author as a nurse educator with clinical colleagues who described experiences of physical and psychological exhaustion caused by persistent work pressure during the pandemic. The participants did not have an active involvement in the study design. What does this paper contribute to the wider global clinical community? • The study found that the organisational support, staff resilience, and perceived impact of the pandemic on nurses’ social role are predictors of burnout among nurses in the UK. • It is necessary to ensure harm is prevented through enhancements in working conditions, and increasing staff capacity and disaster preparedness, thus ensuring effective patient care. • Healthcare systems must value nurses as skilled professionals, demonstrate more commitment to staff, foster a culture of appreciation and recognition. • Developing and evaluating a standardised disaster preparedness programme could help enhance nurses’ resilience to respond effectively to future pandemics and reduce the risk of burnout.