Abstract
M.Cur. (Psychiatric Nursing)
Burnout has severe consequences for the psychiatric nurse as individual and for the mental health delivery system because of an increase in staff turnover and a decrease in the quality of patientcare. Psychiatric nurses suffering from burnout have the potential to experience job satisfaction, if job satisfaction can be facilitated. Job satisfaction of the psychiatric nurse will promote the mental health for her as individual, her patients, colleagues, family and the community. The following aims were set for the research project: Exploring and describing the aspects which cause and promote burnout
amongst psychiatric nurses at a private psychiatric hospital; and to formulate guidelines for the psychiatric nursing specialist to facilitate job satisfaction of psychiatric nurses, as an integral part of mental health by means of mobilisation of resources. Nursing for the Whole Person Theory was used as the theoretical framework for this qualitative,contextual study. Botes' Model (1995:4-9) for Nursing Research was used to structure theresearch. The measures which were used to ensure reliability,validity and credibility of the research, were that of Guba (inKrefting, 1991:214-222).A pilot study was conducted to prevent obstacles during gathering and analysis of data. Specific criteria were set for selectionof participants. After conducting a pilot study, fiveparticipants were purposively selected from the target populationat a private psychiatric clinic.Individual focus interviews were recorded on tape and latertranscribed. Data gathering and data analysis were divided in two phases. Three questions were asked during -Phase 1 regarding burnout, and one during - Phase 2- regarding guidelinesfor the prevention of burnout. Data was analyzed systematicallyand descriptive, combining Tesch's (in Creswell, 1994:115) and Kerlinger's (1986:479) methods.