Evaluation of a Psychological Capital Intervention to Alleviate Burnout and Regulate Immunity Among Oncology Nurses

Evaluation of a Psychological Capital Intervention to Alleviate Burnout and Regulate Immunity Among Oncology Nurses

Evaluation of a Psychological Capital Intervention to Alleviate Burnout and Regulate Immunity Among Oncology Nurses: a Randomized Controlled Trial

Burnout appears to be highly prevalent among oncology nurses, which was a problem not only for the nurses themselves but for the patients for whom they provide care. How to mitigate and prevent burnout and improve nursing performance outcomes is an urgent problem for nursing manager. In a sample of 99 oncology nurses, immunological characteristics were compared to burnout scores. In a randomized trial, 90 oncology nurses suffering burnout were randomized to receive psychological capital intervention or routine psychological care. Participants were assessed before and after treatment using measures of burnout, psychological capital and immunological characteristics.

Burnout appears to be highly prevalent among oncology nurses, which was a problem not only for the nurses themselves but for the patients for whom they provide care. And burnout-associated biomarkers remain controversial, and their potential roles in burnout are still unclear. This study was a randomized controlled trial in which the independent variable was group psychological intervention, while the dependent variables were pre- and post-intervention scores on the Maslach burnout inventory and on the psychological capital scale, as well as values for various immunological indicators. In Stage 1 of the study, recruited subjects completed the psychological capital questionnaire and blood was sampled. In Stage 2, the research team administered a custom-designed psychological capital intervention (PCI) to part of the sample, while the other part received routine care . The PCI group received 1 h of counseling twice weekly for a total of 24 weeks in total. In Stage 3, the PCI and control groups completed the questionnaires again and provided blood samples.

The intervention program was taught by experts with at least the title of deputy chief nurse who had been engaged in clinical psychological nursing for a long time. These teachers helped nurses with burnout to develop their own positive psychology, learn optimism, embrace hope, find available support systems and resources, plan their careers. Training took the form mainly of Balint groups, lectures, group discussions, video watching and outdoor development. Personalized counseling was provided to address specific psychological problems in individuals, in a way that ensured personal privacy. The intervention occurred as 12 sessions of 60 min each, twice a month, lasting altogether six months.

Psychological capital would be modified via various training programs in order to manage burnout among nurses. When the four core psychological resources are combined, they may form a higher-order construct that predicts attitudes and performance more strongly than any of the four components by themselves .

change of the MBI scores, which ranges from 0 to 6, with higher scores indicating more severe burnout.

change of the PPQ scores, , which ranges from 1 to 6, with higher scores indicating higher level of psychological capital.

Inclusion Criteria: Subjects were officially employed and licensed nurses who had been working in the cancer hospital for at least 2 years. Exclusion Criteria: Subjects had recently suffered personal health problems or significant negative life events, such as the death or serious illness of a family member, or if they were on maternity leave or other types of leave from their nursing job.

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