Predicting of job burnout of female nurses based on effort – reward imbalance and characteristics of positive psychology

Introduction: The present study aimed to predict job burnout based on effort-reward imbalance and characteristics of positive psychology among female nurses of Shahid Rahnemoon Hospital of Yazd.  Materials and Methods: The research method was descriptive; correlation type. 132 female nurses working in the different parts of Shahid Rahnemoon Hospital in Yazd were selected by random sampling. Three questionnaires (Muslesh & Jackson`s job burnout, Seligman`s positive psychological characteristics scale, and effort-reward imbalance of Seigersit) were completed by nurses. Results: The findings of the one-sample t-test showed that the job burnout level of nurses in the components of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization was moderate, but personal accomplishment is severe and statistically significant. Also, the score of effort-reward imbalance in female nurses is 1.09, which is higher than the cutting point and showed the imbalance of effort-reward in nurses. The situation of the meaning life component and the engagement life component (in the characteristics of positive psychology) among nurses was higher than the average and statistically significant, but the situation of the pleasant life was lower than the average and insignificant. The findings also showed that a positive and significant correlation between effort-reward imbalance with job burnout(r=0.458, p<0.01), as well as a negative and significant correlation between the positive psychological characteristics with job burnout (r=-0.65, p<0.01). In addition, the results of multiple regression analysis showed that 40% of variances of job burnout were predicted by the meaning of life, the effort-reward imbalance, and the engagement life. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, job burnout of nurses is moderate. Serious action should be taken by health policymakers and managers to increase the effort-reward balance improve the characteristics of positive psychology and reduce the burnout of nurses.