The Effectiveness of a Balint Group on Burnout Prevention, Reduction of Stress Perception, and Improvement of Caring Behaviors in Nurses in the COVID-19 Ward at Amir-Alam Hospital

Abstract

Nurses have stressful jobs. Considering the frequency of burnout and its consequences in nurses and subsequently the direct impact it has on patients’ health, devising interventions is necessary to prevent or reduce burnout. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Balint groups on burnout, perceived stress, and caring behaviors in nurses at the COVID-19 ward, Amir-Alam Hospital. This was a quasi-experimental study with pre-test, post-test and a control group. 20 nurses were selected at the COVID-19 ward, Amir-Alam hospital, using a random sampling method. Twelve online Balint sessions were held. Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), Caring Behaviors Inventory (CBI), and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) were used at the beginning and the end of the intervention to collect data. Results showed no significance difference between the experimental and control groups in pre-test and post-test in terms of sum of dependent variables, including Perceived Stress, frequency and intensity of Emotional Exhaustion, Personal Accomplishment, Depersonalization, and Occupation, Respectful Deference to Others, Human Presence, Positive Connectedness, Knowledge and Skills, and Experiences of Others. Balint group with a limited number of once-weekly sessions (12 online sessions) had no significant effect on burnout, perceived stress, and caring behaviors in nurses at Amir-Alam Hospital. More sessions of Balint group-work in online situation is recommended as opposed to face-to-face Balint sessions.