Factors Predicting Academic Burnout among Nursing Students in One Public Autonomous University

Abstract

Academic burnout is an ongoing issue and one of the major factors influencing the decision to withdraw from studies among students in health science disciplines. This predictive correlational research aimed to examine the predictive power of selected factors on academic burnout among nursing students. A sample of 148 undergraduate nursing students from years 1 to 4 enroll in the Bachelor of Nursing Science program at a public autonomous university in Thailand was recruited using stratified random sampling and simple random sampling. The research instruments included questionnaires on 1) personal information, 2) the Attitude Toward Nursing Profession Scale, 3) the Stress Assessment Scale, 4) the Self-Efficacy Perception Scale, 5) the Pitsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and 7) the Academic Burnout Scale.  The Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for reliability were 0.89, 0.83, 0.84, 0.81, and 0.93, respectively. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis.

The results revealed that the participants experienced a moderate level of academic burnout (Mean = 61.39, S.D. = 15.25). Self-efficacy, attitude toward the nursing profession, stress, and sleep quality significantly predicted academic burnout, accounting for 59% of the variance (p < .001). The findings of this study can serve as foundational information for educational institutions to develop strategies that enhance self-efficacy and positive professional attitudes, as well as to promote effective stress management and adequate sleep. The findings can guide educational institutions in developing strategies to enhance self-efficacy, promote positive attitudes toward the nursing profession, manage stress, and improve sleep to prevent and reduce academic burnout among nursing students.