Burnout and absence among hospital nurses: an empirical study of the role of context in Argentina

Abstract

This study explores the role of absence and contextual factors on burnout, including shiftwork rotation, stressful work units, and understaffing. The efficacy of absence as a coping mechanism is examined in the most and least stressful work units under conditions of shiftwork rotation and understaffing, respectively. The sample consists of 304 hospital nurses in Argentina. Results reveal that absence mitigates the impact of emotional exhaustion on diminished personal accomplishment among fixed shift nurses who work in the least stressful units. Absence buffers the impact of emotional exhaustion on diminished personal accomplishment in understaffed units. Its role changes when it comes to buffering the impact of emotional exhaustion on depersonalisation across levels of understaffing. We argue that absence plays an attenuating role only when specific contextual factors cohere. Nurses who are aware of this contextual confluence manage their mental health better. These findings have practical implications for healthcare management.