Exploring the relationship between burnout, resilience and safety culture for mental health nurses in Saudi Arabia

Background/Aims The focus of this research is on burnout, resilience and its effect on safety culture. The study maintains that healthcare organisations lag behind in the race to address burnout because they focus on dealing with the already-existing condition rather than on the source. The purpose of the study was to assess burnout, resilience and the association with safety culture in mental health nurses working in mental health institutions in Jazan, Saudi Arabia. Methods A cross-sectional survey was undertaken using convenience sampling, with 219 mental health nurses from the mental health hospital in Jazan, between June and August 2018. Results The results of the study showed that 45.6% of the participants experienced a high level of emotional exhaustion, 36.5% reported a high level of depersonalisation and 15.9% high personal achievement. The high level of burnout and its dimensions has a negative effect on service users' safety and resilience. Conclusions This research supports the adoption of healthcare mechanisms to address the source of mental health nurses' burnout, rather than addressing the issue when it emerges.