PROFESSIONAL BURNOUT OF GERIATRIC NURSES CARING FOR ELDERLY PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA
Marianna Mantzorou, Evmorfia Koukia
Monday, January 1, 2018
Publication year:
2018
Authors:
- Mantzorou Marianna, 1. Lecturer of applications University of Western Attica, PhD(c) National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
- Koukia Evmorfia, Assοciate professor, Faculty of Nursing, University of Athens
Keywords index:
Pages: 6-26
Abstract:
Introduction: Elderly people with
dementia present complex needs and the challenges in their care may make the
caring staff in long term caring settings vulnerable to the development of
burnout because of the emotional and physical drainage they undergo. Purpose: of this study was to examine
the factors that contribute towards the development of burnout of professional
caregivers of elderly people with dementia so that effective programs for its
prevention and management will be designed. Methodology: Review and research studies of the last decade were
searched in international
databases such as PubMed,
Google scholar, CINAHL and Healink as well as in the references of the papers
found and the papers were evaluated for their validity, they were thematically
categorized and presented in this review.Results: The International
literature presents as the main factors related to burnout, the working
environment of the nursing home, the personal characteristics of the nurses,
the education and the behavioral problems of the demented patients. An
important finding of this review is the fact that professional caregivers
experience burnout due to mistaken beliefs about the patients as well as
negative beliefs and emotional reactions towards dementia. High levels of
stress contribute to diminished quality of care, missed care, increased
frequency of inadequate safety and higher frequency of mistakes in the everyday
practice of nursing homes. Conclusions: It is important to find new
directions for the improvement of the design of programs which aim at the
reduction of professional burnout so as to include not only the organizational factors that contribute to the burnout but also
focus to the cognitive and emotional reactions of the professionals towards the
disease of their patients with regard to the specific and unique
characteristics of nurses.
