Workplace discrimination, burnout among Asian nurses working in US

Editor's Note

This study led by nurse researchers at the College of Nursing, Ohio State University, Columbus, finds that racial discrimination plays a substantial role in burnout among Asian nurses working in the US.

Of 236 nurses responding to the study survey:

• 99 (42.0%) reported definite or complete burnout
• 177 (74.2%) reported experiencing job harassment, unfair treatment, and/or feeling invisible at work a few times a year or more.

Multivariate analysis found that:

• nurses who reported frequent discrimination were more likely to have burnout compared with those who experienced infrequent discrimination
• those who primarily spoke English were more likely to report burnout compared with nurses who primarily spoke their native language
• working more than 40 hours per week was associated with increased likelihood of burnout.

The findings help build a knowledge base that is an initial step toward integrating and engaging Asian nurses in antiracism efforts in the workplace, the researchers say.