The Lived Experience of the Burnout of Nurses Working in Oncology Wards

Young-Sook Lee; Young Sook Tae

doi:10.5388/aon.2012.12.1.100

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Lee and Tae: The Lived Experience of the Burnout of Nurses Working in Oncology Wards

Original Article

Asian Oncology Nursing

Asian Oncology Nursing 2012; 12(1): 100-109.

Published online: 29 February 2012

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5388/aon.2012.12.1.100

The Lived Experience of the Burnout of Nurses Working in Oncology Wards

Young-Sook Lee¹, Young Sook Tae²

¹Professor, Department of Nursing, Gyeong-Ju University, Gyeongju, Korea.

²Professor, College of Nursing, Kosin University, Busan, Korea.

Address reprint requests to: Tae, Young Sook. College of Nursing, Kosin University, 34 Amnam-dong, Seo-gu, Busan 603-703, Korea. Tel: +82-51-990-6446, Fax: +82-51-990-3031, taehope@kosin.ac.kr

Received 5 January 2012 Accepted 1 February 2012

Abstract

Purpose

This study was done to understand the meanings and nature of experiences of the burnout of nurses working in oncology wards.

Methods

The hermeneutic phenomenology developed by van-Manen was used. The period for data collection was from November, 2006 to May, 2007. This study took place in 3 university hospitals in B & U cities. Nine nurses working in oncology wards participated. Data collection was done through individual in-depth interviews.

Results

The eight most common themes demonstrated by participants from this study were 'being fed up with endless demands', 'collapsing in front of deaths', 'gasping for breath due to overwhelming tasks', 'uncontrollable suffering of body', 'gradually loosing self-esteem', 'frustration from the work world', 'beleaguered relationships', and 'desire to escape'.

Conclusion

The results of this study indicate that there is a need to develop a preventive burnout program for nurses working in oncology wards.

Keywords: Burnout, Cancer Care Unit, Nurses

Figures and Tables

Table 1

The Essential Themes of the Lived Experience of the Burnout of Nurses working in Cancer Wards

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