Assessing the incremental validity of spirituality in predicting nurses’ burnout

Abstract

This population study examined the incremental validity of spirituality in predicting burnout among Maltese professional nurses. Cross-sectional and mixed-method design was conducted. Measures in this self-report questionnaire included the Maslach Burnout Inventory, Faith Maturity Scale, Satisfaction with Life Scale, Big Five Inventory and a demographic section, together with a brief qualitative section. Response rate was 78%. All hypotheses were supported. Maltese nurses (N = 121) suffer from high levels of burnout, in particular from low professional accomplishment, high levels of depersonalization, and moderate to high emotional exhaustion. Qualitative data supported these findings and suggested that the physical and moral environment of nurses was conducive to an increase of burnout. Furthermore, multiple regression analysis indicated that spirituality predicted burnout after controlling for personality and well-being. This study suggests that spirituality may be an important potential source of resilience for nurses who risk burnout in their employment.