Review Article

Effectiveness of Individual-Based Strategies to Reduce Nurse Burnout: An Umbrella Review

Table 1

Key characteristics of systematic reviews in the umbrella review (n = 11).

First author/year/countryNo. of included studies (year of publication)Total no. of subjectsn/countries representedn/study designs representedn/strategiesOutcomesConclusions

Stuber/2021/Germany7 (1994–2018)11044 USA
1 China
1 UK
1 Germany
1 RCT
3 Cohort
3 CCT
2 Stress management and coping
2 Professional enhancement
2 Communication and conflict management
1 Problem-solving
↑ Work atmosphere
↑ Personal competences
↑ Work satisfaction
↓ Psychological strain
↓ Insomnia
↓ Emotional exhaustion
Leadership intervention can maintain or foster mental health among nurses

Jung/2021/Korea17 (1993–2020)14304 China
3 US
2 Taiwan
2 Japan
1 Korea
1 Greece
1 Turkey
1 France
1 Malaysia
1 Iran
15 Parallel RCT
2 Cross-over RCT
3 Relaxation
3 Music-related
2 Resilience
5 MBSR
4 Yoga
1 Meditation
1 Aromatherapy
↑ Job satisfaction
↑ Quality of life
↑ General health
↓ Burnout
↓ Stress
↓ Anxiety
↓ Depression
↓ Fatigue
Yoga showed significant effect on burnout

Bischoff/ 2019/Germany9 (1995–2017)690 (9–282)4 USA
1 China
1 Brazil
2 Sweden
1 Taiwan
7 RCT
1 Quasi
1 Pilot pre-post
4 Yoga
2 Physical exercise
1 Qigong
1 Tai Chi
1 Individually designed training
↓Emotional exhaustion
↓ Depersonalization
↓ Stress
Yoga and qigong can reduce stress among health personnel

Gillman/2015/Australia/20 (1994–2013)1811 (6–563)8 USA
1 Australia
1 Italy
5 Canada
2 Sweden
1 Wales
1 Taiwan
1 Portugal
4 mixed
5 Grounded
3 Phenomenology
4 cross-sectional
1 concept mapping
2 Pre-post
1 RCT
2 Emotion-focused techniques
9 Stress management and coping
3 Compassion fatigues resilience strategies
2 Hoping and self-transcendence
2 Death education
2 Mentoring or buddy systems
1 Consultation
↑ Resilience
↑ Coping
↑ Job satisfaction
↑ Quality of care
↓ Stress
↓ Burnout
Many strategies can help nurses to cope with work challenges including strategies which promote team connection, help reduce stress and recovery, or help to deal with emotions from experiences

Ghawadra/2019/Malaysia9 (2006–2017)4671 Canada
3 USA
1 Japan
1 Malaysia
1 Brazil
2 Portugal
2 RCT
3 QCT
4 Pre-post
7 MBSR
1 Mindful-gym
1 Self-related processing
↑ Job satisfaction
↑ Quality of life
↑ General health
↑ Relaxation
↑ Sense of coherence
↑ Self-compassion
↑ Serenity
↑ Empathy
↑ Mindfulness
↑ Happiness
↓ Burnout
↓ Stress
↓ Anxiety
↓ Depression
↓ Fatigue
MBSR can reduce burnout, stress, anxiety, depression, and fatigue, and increase job satisfaction, quality of life and so on among nurses

Otto/2021/Germany6 (1997–2019)7162 Norway
2 Netherlands
1 Australia
1 USA
6 RCT2 Comprehensive orientation training
2 Exercise
1 Positive psychology
1 Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
1 Clinical lesson
1 Emotion training
1 supervision meeting
1 Stress management
↑ Job satisfaction
↑ Mental health
↑ Physical health
↓ Burnout
↓ Neck complaints
Cognitive-behavioral and multicomponent interventions can improve physical and mental health, job satisfaction, and can reduce burnout and neck complaints among elderly care nurses

Westermann/2014/Germany/16 (2001–2012)2253 (21–384)3 Canada
1 Italy
3 Germany
3 Australia
1 Denmark
1 UK
2 USA
2 Netherlands
10 RCT
5 Quasi
1 Pre-post
13 Innovative caring strategies and communication skills for dementia
4 Mentoring or buddy systems
1 Stress coping
1 MBSR
1 Ergonomic and psychosocial training
↓ Low personal accomplishment
↑ Job satisfaction
↑ Intrinsic motivation
↓ Emotional exhaustion
↓ Depersonalization
Only a few interventions have positive influences on nursing staff burnout, we need more evidence to prove that can prevent burnout

Ciezar-Andersen/ 2021/Canada/25 (1998–2019)177810 India
8 USA
12 RCT
1 Quasi
9 Pre-post
2 Qualitative
1 Mixed
25 Yoga↑ Coping in acutely stressful situations
↑ Psychiatric
↑ Physical health
↑ Self-compassion
↑ Self-care practices
↑ Quality of care
↑ Mindfulness
↑ Concentration
↓ Stress
↓ Anxiety
↓ Depression
↓ Burnout
↓ Musculoskeletal aches and pains
Yoga can improve mental and physical health among HHPs and HHP students

Aryankhes/2019/Iran18 (12 for nurses) (2006–2017)60552 UK
4 USA
4 Netherlands
1 Australia
1 Japan
1 Canada
2 Turkey
1 Iran
1 Israel
1 China
12 RCT
6 pretest-post-test
1 Thankful event
2 Electronic-mental health care
1 Consultation with physician
1 Participatory program
2 Yoga
1 Communication skill training
1 Professional program
1 Cognitive and emotive training
1 Psychosocial training
1 Coping skill
1 MBSR
↓ Emotional exhaustion
↓ Depersonalization
The interventions used to improve burnout were communication skills, teamwork, participatory programs, and psychological interventions such as Yoga, meditation, and MBRS

Lee/2016/Taiwan7 (1998–2014)7662 USA
2 Netherlands
1 Canada
1 Spain
5 RCT
2 Quasi
1 Cognitive behaviors meeting
2 Coping and stress management
2 Refresher session
2 MBSR
1 Team-based supported
1 Cognitive coping strategies
1 Problem-solving
↓ Emotional exhaustion
↓ Depersonalization
↑ Low personal accomplishment
Coping strategies can reduce nurse burnout

Suleiman-Martos/2020/Canada17 (2005–2019)632 (13–91)8 USA
2 Australia
1 Ireland
1 Brazil
1 Portugal
2 Canada
1 Iran
1 Japan
8 RCT
9 Quasi
17 MBSR↑ Physical health
↑ Mental health
↑ Quality of care
↑ Resilience
↑ Life satisfaction
↑ Self-compassion
↑ Low personal accomplishment
↑ Job satisfaction
↓ Emotional exhaustion
↓ Burnout
↓ Stress
↓ Depression
↓ Depersonalization
MBSR and MBSCR can reduce burnout among nurses. However, it needs more evidence to prove it