Relationship of Work Irrational Beliefs with Burnout among Nigerian Nurses

Abstract

The objective of this study was to examine the association between work irrational beliefs and each burnout
dimension (physical fatigue, cognitive weariness and emotional exhaustion) by treating burnout as a
construct that is multidimensional. This cross-sectional, correlational study was completed by a convenience
sample of nine hundred and twenty-three Nigerian federal medical nurses. The study data were collected
from participating nurses through a 15-item Nurses’ Work-related Irrational Beliefs Questionnaire (NWIBQ)
and a 17-item Nurses’ Burnout Questionnaire (NBQ) with three subscales consisting of physical fatigue,
cognitive weariness and emotional exhaustion. For analyses of data collected, bivariate correlation and linear
regression analyses were conducted at .05 level of significance. The statistical analyses were performed
using SPSS software, version 22. Results indicated that work irrational beliefs negatively correlated with
physical fatigue (r=-.049, P=.136), cognitive weariness (r= -.025, P=.442) and emotional exhaustion (r=-
.051, P=.123) among the nurses. The analyses also confirmed the extent of a direct association between work
irrational beliefs and burnout symptoms among the nurses. Given the negative connection of work irrational
beliefs with burnout among the nurses, the medical centres should ensure nurses benefit from psychological
interventions to eliminate irrational beliefs and burnout issues linked to work.