An integrative review of burnout and related concepts in nursing faculty

Abstract

Introduction: It is essential to support the health and well-being of nursing faculty. Nurse well-being is imperative for promoting many outcomes in health care and education. In the presence of workplace stressors, nursing faculty may experience negative impacts, including burnout. This integrative review explored the literature on burnout and related concepts in nursing faculty.

Methods: An integrative review guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses flow diagram was performed. Articles were identified from databases, including PubMed and CINAHL Plus, citation searching, and content expert referral. Key search terms included “nursing faculty”, “burnout”, and “nursing education”. 102 articles were identified and screened for established inclusion criteria and 23 were included in this review.

Results: A total of 23 articles exploring burnout and other related concepts in nursing faculty were appraised. Emergent themes encompassing contributing factors, manifestations, impact, and strategies for decreasing faculty burnout and increasing faculty well-being are illustrated in this review. Although a variety of individual and organizational strategies for decreasing burnout were emphasized in the literature, multiple gaps were identified. These gaps include 1) lack of comprehensive programs to address faculty burnout, 2) integration of skills and practices into nursing education curricula, 3) impact of interventions on educational outcomes, 4) assessments examining faculty needs, and 5) absence of best practices replicated in nursing education.

Conclusions: It is imperative to explore a comprehensive approach to decreasing burnout and supporting faculty and student well-being in nursing education and examine methodological challenges in defining related concepts and measures.