The study, published Nov. 5 in JAMA Network Open, analyzed 85 studies published between 1994 and 2024. These studies included 288,581 nurses from 5,300 hospitals across 32 countries, including the U.S.
“The emotional exhaustion and depersonalization dimensions of burnout, more so than personal accomplishment, were observed to be the most closely associated with patient safety,” the authors wrote.
Here are four additional findings:
- Occupational burnout was associated with a lower safety climate or culture, reduced patient satisfaction ratings, lower safety grades and lower nurse-assessed quality of care.
- Nurse burnout was also associated with an increased frequency of nosocomial infections, patient falls, medical errors, adverse events or patient safety incidents, and missed or unfinished care.
- Burnout was not linked to patient mortality, frequency of patient abuse, patient complaints, or pressure ulcers, though study authors noted this could be due to low statistical power.
- Forty-two percent of nurses had a bachelor’s degree or higher. The association between burnout and lower patient safety was less significant among highly educated nurses.
