Individual vulnerability to burnout in nurses: The role of Type D personality within different nursing specialty areas

Previous studies describe nursing as an occupation with a high-risk for burnout. However, less attention has been paid to the individual factors underlying this psychological syndrome. This study aims to contribute to the limited body of evidence concerning Type D personality and burnout in nursing. To investigate this topic, we examined Type D personality, stress and burnout within the nursing profession, while taking the organisational and job-related elements into account. During this cross-sectional study, data were collected using self-report questionnaires. The 222 nurses who participated were selected from 12 general hospitals across Antwerp, Belgium. The departments and nurses surveyed were selected at random and sub-divided into six nursing specialty areas. Type D personality ranged from 23% in medical and surgical units, up to 36% in paediatric units. In addition, even when corrected for organisational and job-related factors, nurses with Type D personality were five times more likely to have a high risk for burnout. This study suggested that Type D is a vulnerable personality in nurses for the development of burnout. Consequently, it might be advisable to target this individual factor in prevention programmes.