Impact of Psychological Capital, Nurses' Experience and Emotional Burnout on Quality of Life of Cancerous Children

Background: Nurses are regarded as a cornerstone of healthcare systems, and oncology nurses experience heightened stress compared to other healthcare professionals due to prolonged patient interaction and high mortality rates in clinical settings. Burnout negatively affects nurses’ physical and mental health and compromises organizational performance, ultimately influencing the quality of care provided to children with cancer. Positive psychological resources such as hope and resilience, conceptualized as psychological capital, are considered important contributors to quality of life. This study aimed to investigate the relationships among psychological capital, nurses’ experience in pediatric oncology, emotional burnout, and the quality of life of children with cancer. Methodology: A quantitative cross-sectional study design with a non- probability sampling technique was utilized. The study was conducted at Children Hospital Lahore, Pakistan, and included nurses working in the pediatric oncology department. Structured Likert scale questionnaires were administered to measure psychological capital, nurses’ experience, emotional burnout, and quality of life of children with cancer. Demographic information was also collected from participants. Results: All participants were female government employees. The majority (53.3 percent) were aged between 26 and 45 years, 99.3 percent held a bachelor’s degree, and 83.3 percent had 2 to 5 years of service. Mean scores were high for psychological capital (4.44), quality of life (3.94), and emotional burnout (3.67), while nurses’ experience demonstrated a moderate mean score (3.19). Psychological capital showed a weak but significant positive correlation with nurses’ experience (p .05) and emotional burnout (p > .05) were not significant. Nurses’ experience was positively and significantly correlated with quality of life (p .05). Quality of life demonstrated a significant positive correlation with emotional burnout (p < .01), indicating that higher emotional burden was associated with variations in quality of life. Conclusion: The study demonstrated that emotional burden and negative experiences were significant determinants of quality of life, while psychological capital did not show a direct or indirect influence. The absence of mediation underscores the need for direct intervention strategies focused on emotional well-being to enhance overall quality of life. Mental health professionals and policymakers should prioritize measures that reduce emotional burden and address negative workplace experiences among oncology nurses.