Relationship of Stress, Family, and Social Support, and Job Satisfaction to Burnout Among Family Nurse Practitioners Employed in Primary Care Clinics in Mississippi

In the realm of healthcare, burnout is the invisible monster that has infiltrated every facet of the industry with grossly visible results. From provider turnover to patient errors, burnout has lifelong effects on the healthcare provider and patient care. This researcher seeks to study variables and the relationship to burnout among Family Nurse Practitioners who practice in primary care in Mississippi. The Review of the Literature demonstrated a lack of findings in burnout among family nurse practitioners. Most of the literature reviewed focused on burnout among registered nurses. The guiding hypothesis of the research study was that social and family support, stress, and job satisfaction would significantly impact burnout. The design of the study was a quantitative survey methodology with the sample consisting of family nurse practitioners who practiced at outpatient family practice clinics in Mississippi. The results of the study demonstrated a lack of significance among demographic variables, as well as family and social support. The strongest indicators of burnout were found to be stress and job satisfaction. While the study focuses on only a small piece of a much larger puzzle, this researcher hopes it shines a light on the monumental effect of burnout on healthcare providers and the detrimental impact it has in all realms of healthcare in our society. Consideration of the results of this study when developing policies and procedures that impact the nurse practitioners and patients in the healthcare system can mitigate burnout and subsequent deleterious patient outcomes.