Nurses driven mainly by a desire to help others are more likely to burn out

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-08/asa-ndm081214.php

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 19-Aug-2014

Contact: Daniel Fowler
American Sociological Association
Nurses driven mainly by a desire to help others are more likely to burn out

SAN FRANCISCO — Nurses who are motivated primarily by the desire to help others, rather than by enjoyment of the work itself or the lifestyle it makes possible, are more likely to burn out on the job, University of Akron researchers say.

Nursing is still a female-dominated occupation, and being female is associated with being caring, nurturing, and altrustic. Therefore, the desire to help others is often assumed to be the "right" motivation for entering the field, the researchers say.

However, they found that nurses who pursue their career for reasons other than or in addition to the desire to help others find the job to be less stressful. That results in less burnout, better personal health, and high job commitment.

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