Oncology nurse burnout – implications for retention

Cancer nursing services today are facing increasing pressure to respond to an increase in projected demands and community expectations for cancer services, and the need for more coordinated, person centred, and accessible care for all people with cancer. These pressures are occurring in the context of significant nursing workforce shortages and escalating workloads. There are concerns that such pressures are resulting in higher levels of stress and burnout for nurses. An Australian study of oncology/haematology nurses in 2002 indicated that workload issues were a major dissatisfier for them, with nearly 50% reporting that they did not have the time to get through their work, and that overall staffing levels were a concern for them. The study further identified that cancer nurses are at high risk of burnout, with 70% of the sample categorised as experiencing moderate to high levels of emotional exhaustion on the standard burnout measures1. In response to such data, nurse researchers in the US and Canada have directed increasing attention to understanding the key features of positive practice environments for nurses. Data from these studies have important implications for practice, education and policy in cancer care, as it identifies specific features of the work environment that are associated not only with improved work satisfaction and increased retention for nurses, but also improved outcomes for patients. (1) Barrett, L. & Yates, P. (2002) Oncology/Haematology nurses: A study of job satisfaction, burnout, and intent to leave the specialty. Australian Health Review, 25(3), 109-121.