When you think of the “ideal” nurse, you might think of someone who is caring, nurturing and above all, wants to help people. But research carried out at the University of Akron and presented at the American Sociological Association conference suggests that nurses who have altruistic motives are more likely to report higher levels of burnout or emotional exhaustion. Some even dread having to face another day at work….

Results of the study suggest that nurses who pursue their career for reasons other than, or in addition to, the desire to help others find the job to be less stressful.

So while being caring, nurturing and altruistic have traditionally been assumed as the “right” motivation for entering the profession, potential nurses really need to consider what other reasons they have for pursuing this path.

The study surveyed 700 registered nurses in Northeast Ohio, and the main findings change the traditional assumption in nursing, that is:

• Women are expected to enter the job because they are naturally caring and nurturing, but the study shows that this solely motivation to help others can lead to burnout
• As the assumption is now starting to change, more men might be attracted to nursing and all nurses can value their jobs for other reasons.

The study authors, Janette Dill, Rebecca Erickson, and James Diefendorff, suggested a future study to explore how well nurses with different motivations and care approaches perform their jobs.

Click here for the University of Akron’s release on this research.

Click here for lead researcher Janette Dill’s article on The Conversation.

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