Characteristics of Professional Self-Concept in Emergency Nurses and its Association With Burnout and Psychological Resilience

Abstract

Background: To explore the relationship between professional self-concept and burnout as well as psychological resilience among emergency nurses.

Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among 107 emergency nurses at Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University using the Arthur Professional Self-Concept Scale for Nurses, the Chinese Maslach Burnout Inventory (CMBI), and the Chinese Version of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). Scale scores were compared across demographic characteristics. Pearson correlation analysis was used to examine relationships between professional self-concept, burnout, and psychological resilience, and non-conditional logistic regression was employed to identify influencing factors.

Results: Burnout scores varied significantly by age, work experience, professional title, marital status, child status, and family caregiving responsibilities (all p < 0.05). Psychological resilience scores differed significantly by work experience, professional title, child status, and family caregiving responsibilities (all p < 0.05). Professional self-concept was significantly negatively correlated with burnout (r = –0.674, p = 0.003) and significantly positively correlated with psychological resilience (r = 0.646, p = 0.011). Multivariable logistic regression analysis identified older age, longer work experience, senior professional title, and family caregiving responsibilities as significant risk factors for burnout, while higher professional self-concept was a protective factor (all p < 0.05). Longer work experience, senior professional title, having children, and higher professional self-concept were associated with greater psychological resilience, whereas family caregiving responsibilities were associated with lower psychological resilience (all p < 0.05). 

Conclusions: Numerous factors influence burnout and psychological resilience among emergency nurses. A stronger professional self-concept is associated with lower levels of burnout and greater psychological resilience.