Original targeted therapy for the management of the burnout syndrome in nurses: an innovative approach and a new opportunity in the context of predictive, preventive and personalized medicine

Simona Grigorescu; Ana-Maria Cazan; Liliana Rogozea; Dan Ovidiu Grigorescu

doi:10.1007/s13167-020-00201-6

Original targeted therapy for the management of the burnout syndrome in nurses: an innovative approach and a new opportunity in the context of predictive, preventive and personalized medicine

EPMA J. 2020 Apr 6;11(2):161-176. doi: 10.1007/s13167-020-00201-6. eCollection 2020 Jun.

Authors

Simona Grigorescu^{1

2}, Ana-Maria Cazan¹, Liliana Rogozea¹, Dan Ovidiu Grigorescu^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ Transilvania University of Brașov, 29, Eroilor Street, 500036 Brașov, Romania.
² Emergency Clinical Children Hospital, 45, Nicopole Street, 500063 Brașov, Romania.
³ Emergency Clinical County Hospital, 25-27, Calea București Street, 500326 Brașov, Romania.

Abstract

Background: Currently considered an occupational disease, the burnout syndrome affects 13-27% of the active population in multiple occupational sectors of the modern world.

Objectives: Considering the burnout syndrome from the new perspective of the predictive, preventive, personalized medicine concept as a pathological entity with a predictable appearance and evolution which allows a preventive approach and a personalized therapy, the main objective of the study is to highlight the possibility of psychotherapeutic interventions for producing measurable psychological changes in order to decrease the burnout level of hospital nurses.

Method: The research design is experimental, the independent variable being the participation or non-participation of nurses in psychotherapeutic sessions where specific classical psychodrama techniques are originally used. Nurses previously identified with medium or high levels of burnout participated in the clinical study, split into two groups: the experimental one, with 150-min weekly sessions, and the control one, without any intervention. Pre- and post-intervention questionnaires were administered to the members of both groups.

Results: The statistical analysis of the differences between pre- and post-intervention revealed (a) the decrease of the levels of personal burnout and of burnout generated by the working conditions and (b) the decrease of the depression and of anxiety on four dimensions (self-awareness, ergic tension, veiled and general anxiety).

Conclusions: The classical psychodrama method can be an effective solution in the prophylaxis and treatment of the burnout syndrome. The multidisciplinary approach according to the PPPM concept including changes of the environmental factors within the professional framework associated with stress control programmes can be promising solutions for the management of this syndrome.

Keywords: Burnout syndrome; Interventions; Nurses; Predictive preventive personalized medicine; Psychotherapy, innovation.