Relationship between Staffing Patterns, Workload, and Burnout among Public Health Nurses in Primary Healthcare Centres in Rivers State

Abstract

Background: Burnout among nursing professionals is a worldwide issue, especially in low-resource contexts, where primary healthcare (PHC) systems experience chronic staffing shortages and large patient volumes. PHN in Nigeria is the cornerstone of community health services and their psychological well-being is usually undermined by structural forces.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to explore the relationship between the staffing patterns, workload, and burnout among PHNs in PHC centres in Rivers State, Nigeria.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey, which is descriptive in nature, was carried out on a group of 293 PHNs out of 800 PHNs who were randomly selected. A structured questionnaire with the Workload Assessment Technique (DLR-WAT), NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX), and Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) was used to collect the data. The data analysis involved the use of descriptive statistics and Pearson Correlation with a significance level of 0.05.

Findings: Adequacy of staffing was slightly adequate (51.19%), and there were notable gaps in peak staffing periods (52.22% insufficient). The level of work was also acutely high, with high physical demand (61.43%) and the constantly present time pressure (54.61%). Burnout was quite high, with 61.43% reporting emotional exhaustion and depersonalisation. There was observed a burnout-engagement paradox, with 59.73% having a strong sense of personal accomplishment despite exhaustion. Inferential analysis determined that there was a strong negative correlation between staffing patterns and burnout (r = -0.850, p < 0.001) and strong positive correlation between workload and burnout (r = 0.810, p < 0.001).

Conclusion: Burnout in PHNs in Rivers State is mostly instigated by insufficient staffing and workloads. These are the aspects that pose threats to the sustainability of primary healthcare provision. Policy frameworks with minimum nurse-to-patient ratios and institutional mental health support must be in place to protect the workforce.