Problems with task mastery, social acceptance, and role clarity explain nurses' symptoms of burnout during the first professional years: A longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: Symptoms of burnout among new professionals is a well-recognized problem but there is a lack of prevention programs. Effective interventions are based on an understanding of the processes that contribute to the development of a problem and suggest how it may be addressed. OBJECTIVE: Using the framework of organizational socialization, the objective of this study was to investigate if development of the socialization processes role clarity, social acceptance, and task mastery affects development of symptoms of burnout among new professionals and may specifically be targeted in transition-to-practice programs to prevent symptoms of burnout from occurring. We conducted this investigation by examining the relations between role clarity, social acceptance, task mastery, and symptoms of burnout the first year after professional entry, as well as the relations between changes in the socialization processes and changes in symptoms of burnout during the first three years following professional entry in a sample of new nurses. METHOD: Relationships between the socialization processes and symptoms of burnout were modeled using a linear latent growth model and data from a nationally representative sample of 1210 new registered nurses. RESULTS: Role clarity, social acceptance, and task mastery were related to symptoms of burnout cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Task mastery was the most important explanatory variable. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that an intervention designed to support the development of the socialization processes may be effective in preventing symptoms of burnout among new nurses. Interventions targeting role clarity, social acceptance, and task mastery during the first professional year may be expected to have effects during the following years as well, extending the value and importance of such interventions.