Burnout and impostor phenomenon in nursing and newly licensed registered nurses: A scoping review

Abstract

Aims and objective: To identify the prevalence and severity of impostor phenomenon and burnout in newly licensed registered nurses, map the current literature on impostor phenomenon in nursing, and identify related factors affecting the new nurse's transition to practice.

Background: Impostor phenomenon is an internalised intellectual phoniness resulting in persistent self-doubt despite prior success. It can evoke feelings of emotional exhaustion associated with burnout, negatively affecting employee retention. Due to changes in nursing education resulting from COVID-19, self-doubt and uncertainty among new nurses are expected to be heightened, leading to burnout which adversely effects nurse well-being, patient care and retention.

Design: The scoping review follows the methodological framework developed by Arksey and O'Malley (2005) and the Reporting Checklist for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines.

Methods: The literature search was conducted utilising PubMed, CINAHL and PsycINFO. Inclusion criteria were studies published between 2011 and 2021, written in English, peer-reviewed, and focused on newly licensed registered nurses. Eighteen articles were reviewed.

Results: Studies on impostor phenomenon in nursing are limited to nursing students and clinical nurse specialists. Prevalence of impostor feelings in these populations range from 36% to 75%, and 12.3% to 46% of new nurses report burnout. Impostor feelings arise from role ambiguity, lack of self-compassion, transitions, and minimal clinical experience. Burnout was associated with stress, feeling unprepared, inadequate socialisation, and lack of self-compassion. Overlap in these factors could increase impostor feelings and burnout in new nurses.

Conclusions: Effects of impostor phenomenon and burnout can negatively impact the well-being of the new nurse. Currently, no studies simultaneously examine impostor phenomenon and burnout in new nurses. Further research on the relationship between these phenomena should be conducted.

Relevance to clinical practice: Understanding the impact of impostor phenomenon and burnout on new nurses could help mitigate challenges they face transitioning into practice.

Keywords: burnout; fraud; impostor phenomenon; impostor syndrome; impostorism; new graduate nurse; novice nurses.