The effect of socio-demographic characteristics on the burnout syndrome of nurses in Republic of Srpska during the COVID-19 pandemic

<p><strong>Introduction.</strong> Nursing is a high-risk profession for burnout due to deadlines, workload, close patient and family interac<br />tions, and supervisor demands. This study aims to assess the frequency of burnout among nurses in COVID-19 and other <br />departments during the pandemic. <br /><strong>Methods.</strong> This cross-sectional study, conducted from November 8 to December 1, 2021, included 246 nurses from COVID-19 and other departments. Two questionnaires were used: a sociodemographic survey and the Maslach Burnout <br />Inventory. <br /><strong>Results.</strong> Statistically significant differences were found in emotional exhaustion (Z=-3.518; p≤0.001), depersonaliza<br />tion (Z=-2.257; p=0.024), and total burnout score (Z=-4.330; p≤0.001) between nurses in COVID-19 wards and those in other departments. Data suggest that nurses with less than 10 years of experience are at higher risk of burnout than <br />those with 10–30 years of experience. <br /><strong>Conclusion.</strong> Nurses in COVID-19 wards exhibited higher emotional exhaustion and depersonalization compared to <br />those in other departments.</p>