Job Burnout and Turnover in Mental Health Nurses

Running head: Job Burnout and Turnover in Mental Health Nurses
Research Proposal
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1Job Burnout and Turnover in Mental Health Nurses
Introduction:
According to Velimirovic et al. (2017), the incidence of burnout is common among
mental health nursing professionals. Job burnout can be defined as an attribute of work related
stress that leads to physical and mental exhaustion among the care professionals. Burnout is
characterized by a distinct sense of feeling under accomplished and a loss of personal identity.
According to a report published by Hayes et al. (2015), it has been stated that more than 60% of
the Graduate nurses who enter into practice quit the profession within 2 years of placement. In
addition to this, studies reveal that more than half a million of the registered nurses (RNs) all
over the world have already quit the profession. The most common reason for a high rate of
turnover includes, stretched shift timings and excessive workload (Allen et al., 2015). In addition
to this, other important factors such as emotional exhaustion and poor work life balance was also
stated as reasons for giving up the profession. In addition to this, the rate of turnover is highest
among the mental health nurses in Australia with an estimated average of 6% (Singh et al.,
2015). The reported statistical figures suggest that burnout among mental health nurses has
emerged out to be a problem of national importance. This research proposal therefore intends to
evaluate the primary factors that are responsible for the high rate of burnout among the mental
health nurses.
Problem statement:
The primary components that determine the quality of effective care include the physical
and mental wellness of the employee workforce in a healthcare organization. The existing
relationship between mental health wellness factors such as burnout, depression and anxiety and
the quality of life of the nursing professionals working in the mental health care unit have been

2Job Burnout and Turnover in Mental Health Nurses
overlooked (Singh et al., 2015). According to a survey report, it was mentioned that 43.8% of the
nurses working within the mental health unit experienced stress and burnout. Further, 20% of the
mental health nurses reported to feel extreme depression (Brunetto & Teo, 2013). In addition to
this, more than 25% of the professionals reported to feel saturated and considered the option of
quitting the profession within the next 12 months. (Allen et al., 2015) The statistical estimates
collected from the research study, indicated that burnout in the nursing profession is a concern of
great magnitude which must be researched further and given utmost importance. Nursing
professionals are integral within a healthcare organization that are responsible for rendering
quality in terms of care services. Also, when the world is already experiencing an acute shortage
of care professionals and is struggling to optimize the nurse to patient ratio for effective care, it is
extremely important to ensure that the turnover ratio is controlled (Laschinge & Fida, 2015). The
critical evaluation of the factors that lead to burnout would help in regulating the rate of turnover
and would also help in promoting positive patient outcomes.

3Job Burnout and Turnover in Mental Health Nurses
Research Questions:
Therefore, on the basis of the existing evidence base, the research questions that can be
articulated for the proposed research study would include the following:
RQ1: What are the factors that lead to burnout among nurses working in a mental health care
environment?
RQ2: What factors motivate nurses to sustain in the profession within mental health care unit?
RQ3: What organizational remedies are available for nurses to deal with burnout within a
mental health care setting?