Burnout, work engagement and sense of coherence in nurses working at a central hospital in KwaZulu-Natal

Abstract

The key objective of this study was to determine the relationship between burnout (measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory – Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS)), work engagement (measured by the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale), and sense of coherence (measured by the Orientation of Life Questionnaire developed by Antonovsky (1987)). A quantitative study using a cross-sectional survey research design was conducted on a randomly selected sample (N = 178) of nurses at a central hospital in Kwa-Zulu Natal. A theoretical relationship was established between the variables. The empirical relationship revealed statistically significant negative relationship between burnout and work engagement. A statistically significant negative relationship was also established between burnout and SOC. The findings add valuable knowledge to industrial and organisational psychology and can be applied to promote employee and organisational wellness.