Relationship Between Instructional Immediacy Behaviors of Faculty and Undergraduate Nursing Student Burnout

AIM: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between undergraduate nursing student burnout and faculty immediacy behaviors. BACKGROUND: Undergraduate nursing students in the United States are experiencing burnout syndrome at alarming rates. There have been many attempts to improve the issue in this population, but few focus on the impact that nursing faculty have on student burnout. METHOD: A quantitative, nonexperimental, correlational research design was used. Data were collected from Bachelor of Science in Nursing students using three valid and reliable survey tools. RESULTS: Statistical analysis revealed the existence of a significant relationship between faculty nonverbal immediacy and all three tenets of student burnout (emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and academic efficacy). A statistically significant relationship between verbal immediacy and academic efficacy also existed. CONCLUSION: This research demonstrates that nursing faculty who engage in immediacy behaviors may have a positive impact on the experiences of undergraduate nursing students.