Burnout among nurses and teachers in Jordan: a comparative study

This study was conducted to evaluate burnout among nurses and teachers in Jordan, and to explore the differences between them. Several demographic factors were examined to evaluate their effect on burnout levels in both professions. The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional design and was performed on 240 participants: 120 nurses and 120 teachers. A modified Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI-modified) was used to assess the three dimensions of burnout. The results of this study showed moderate levels of burnout among both nurses and teachers; however, statistical analysis indicated that nurses had significantly higher levels of burnout than teachers. Moreover, the study showed that gender, marital status and experience significantly affected the level of burnout in teachers, but not in nurses. Educational level did not affect the level of burnout in either group. The study should help in setting proper intervention plans and psychological programs to tackle this important problem in both professions.