The Impact of Coping Mechanisms and Self-Efficacy on Workplace Burnout in Nursing: Evidence from a Demographic Perspective

This study investigated the relationships between self-efficacy, occupational burnout, and coping strategies among nursing staff, focusing on how coping strategies might influence the relationship between self-efficacy and burnout. Using data from government and private hospitals in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, the study analyzed demographic factors such as gender, education, family system, marital status, monthly income, institution, working shifts, and employment status. Data were analyzed with SPSS, employing reliability checks, Pearson correlation, regression analyses, t-tests, and ANOVA. The findings revealed that higher self-efficacy is associated with lower levels of occupational burnout and better coping strategies. However, coping strategies did not significantly moderate the relationship between self-efficacy and burnout. This might be due to limited mental health resources and training in Pakistan, as well as cultural factors affecting the application of coping strategies. Significant differences were found across demographic variables. For instance, nurses from joint families experienced more burnout than those from nuclear families, and female nurses reported higher burnout levels than male nurses. Higher-income nurses showed better self-efficacy, and those in double shifts had higher self-efficacy compared to single or triple shifts. Government-employed nurses had higher self-efficacy than those in other employment statuses. Regression analyses indicated that self-efficacy negatively predicts burnout, explaining 24% of the variance, while coping strategies and problem-focused coping also negatively predict burnout, accounting for 13% and 7% of the variance, respectively. The study highlights the importance of enhancing self-efficacy and coping skills among nurses to manage stress and reduce burnout. Future research should focus on larger, diverse samples and explore longitudinal changes, organizational factors, and intervention effectiveness.