Examining Well-being Through the Concepts of Professional Fulfillment, Psychological Safety, and Resilience in Relation to Burnout

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine professional fulfillment, psychological safety, resilience, and their effect on burnout in the nursing workforce at a community teaching hospital. BACKGROUND: Nurses are at an increased risk for burnout, resulting in negative organizational impacts. To our knowledge, no study has analyzed well-being through professional fulfillment, psychological safety, and resilience in relation to burnout. METHODS: This cross-sectional pilot study examined the concepts of professional fulfillment, burnout, psychological safety, and resilience of the nursing workforce at a community hospital. RESULTS: The sample of RNs (N = 96) had an inverse relationship between burnout and the other variables. Direct care nurses scored significantly lower than indirect care nurses on professional fulfillment (P = 0.001) and psychological safety (P = 0.011). Nurses with higher professional fulfillment were 22.6% less likely to experience burnout (odds ratio, 0.774). CONCLUSIONS: Future research is needed to explore specific opportunities for nurses' professional fulfillment and its influence on burnout.