LAUSR

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES To quantitatively compare dimensions of job stressors' effects on nurses' burnout. BACKGROUND Nurses, a key group of health service providers, often experience stressors at work. Extensive research has examined the relationship between job stressors and burnout; however, less has specifically compared the effects of job stressor domains on nurses' burnout. DESIGN A quantitative cross-sectional survey examined three general hospitals in Jinan, China. METHOD Participants were 602 nurses. We compared five potential stressors' ability to predict nurses' burnout using dominance analysis and assuming that each stressor was intercorrelated. RESULTS Strong positive correlations were found between all five job stressors and burnout. Interpersonal relationships and management issues most strongly predicted participants' burnout (11·3% of average variance). CONCLUSION Job stressors, and particularly interpersonal relationships and management issues, significantly predict nurses' job burnout. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE Understanding the relative effect of job stressors may help identify fruitful areas for intervention and improve nurse recruitment and retention.