Burnout of Nurses in Nursing Homes: To What Extent Age, Education, Length of Service and Length of Work Experience at the Current Workplace Affect the Level of Professional Burnout

Asian Journal of Basic Science & Research
Volume 4, Issue 2, Pages 143-162, April-June 2022
ISSN: 2582-5267 www.ajbsr.net
143
Burnout of Nurses in Nursing Homes: To What Extent Age, Education, Length of Service and
Length of Work Experience at the Current Workplace Affect the Level of Professional Burnout
Snježana Svitlić-Budisavljević
PhD Candidate, Alma Mater Europaea-ECM University, Slovenia. Email: ssvitlic@yahoo.com
DOI: http://doi.org/10.38177/AJBSR.2022.4214
Copyright: © 2022 Snježana Svitlić-Budisavljević. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License,
which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Article Received: 27 February 2022 Article Accepted: 25 May 2022 Article Published: 30 June 2022
1. Introduction
In his scientific work, Freudenberger 1974, refers to the term “burn-out” which is defined in the dictionary as the
verb “burn”, “fail”, “take out” or become exhausted due to the demand for large amounts of energy, strength, or
resources. Based on this definition, he founded the term "burnout", which defines a person in the workplace who
"burns" for various reasons, thus becoming inoperative in everything he or she intends to do [1].
Burnout is a long-term response to chronic, emotional, and interpersonal stressors at work, and is defined by three
dimensions: exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficiency. The way people relate to their work and the difficulties that can
arise when disagreements arise have long been recognized as a significant phenomenon of the modern age. The use
of the term “combustion” for this phenomenon began to appear regularly in the 1970s in the United States of
America, especially among people working in services that involve working with people [2]. As a reliably
recognizable stress syndrome at work, the experience of individuals with stress and burnout is placed in the broader
organizational context of people’s attitudes toward their work. Combustion disrupts both personal and social
functioning. The decline in the quality of work in physical and psychological health can cost dearly not only the
employee but also others who collaborate with him/her or are in any way related to his/her work [3],[4].
Burnout is defined as a syndrome that can occur in individuals who “work with people” and is characterized by
depleted emotional resources, the development of cynicism, dissociation, and decreased perception of working
abilities. In burnout, exhaustion precedes cynicism, which precedes inefficiency while workload has a direct
correlation to exhaustion itself [5],[6]. Nurses are considered professionals who care and empathize, so individuals,
families, and entire communities want nurses to support, heal, and encourage during physical, emotional, and
spiritual distress [7]. They do their jobs to the best of their abilities in highly stressful and complex working
conditions with people who are seriously ill. Lack of support and resources, patient demands, lack of autonomy and
ABSTRACT
We are witnessing very demanding and stressful times in which we live, and an occupation that is particularly exposed to stress and different working
conditions is the job of a nurse. Exposing themselves to everyday challenges and stressful situations, nurses reach a stage of great emotional and
physical exhaustion, lethargy, dissatisfaction, and poorer work achievements, which we know as burnout. The aim of this paper was to determine
whether there is and to what extent professional burnout is present in nurses and technicians working in nursing homes across Slovenia and Croatia.
The paper is answering the questions of the extent of the burnout influenced by individual characteristics (age, education, years of service and work
experience at the current workplace). The study involved a validated questionnaire “The Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI)” to measure
professional burnout. Surveying of the nurses was conducted online at their home institutions. The results show that all respondents have a medium or
high level of professional burnout, while no one has a low level or shows no signs of burnout. In terms of age, the group from 55-65 years of age had
the highest relative level of burnout in the age group category. With regard to education, the highest burnout was measured in registered nurses.

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complexity of work further contribute to the potentially unfavorable environment and the emergence of burnout
[8], therefore, in their study, Jiang et al. 2016 offered proposals for programs to alleviate stress and provide
assistance to nurses by providing opportunities for training and education of nurses, increasing staffing, improving
nurse autonomy, and empowering older nurses who should not work in shifts [9],[10].
2. Objectives of the Study
The objective of the research is to investigate whether there is and to what extent burnout is present in nurses and
caregivers working in nursing homes. The research includes nurses and caregivers of different age groups who have
different levels of education and aims to determine how much these variables affect burnout. In addition, the impact
of the length of service on the current job they perform in a nursing home and its impact on the occurrence of
burnout will be examined.
3. Literature Review
Workplace stress seriously affects the quality of nurses’ work as well as their mental functioning [11]. The
importance of working hours and the connection with the occurrence of occupational burnout in homes has been
described by Haller et al. 2020; Han et al. 2015; White et al. 2019 [12]-[14].
A study by Lesly et al. 2015, concluded that millennial nurses (aged 21-33) are more prone to burnout or show less
compassion than their “Baby Boomer” counterparts (aged 50-65) or "Generation X" (aged 34-49) [15]. Empathy,
support, and education organized by the institution act as protective predictors, while passive coping and
neuroticism are phenomena that increase the risk of “burnout and fatigue of compassion” in nurses in the workplace
[16].
A study conducted by Rudman and Gustavsson 2011, showed that during the first three years of working life,
almost every fifth medical student experiences a high level of burnout at some point [17], while Ohue et al. 2011,
concluded that unmarried nurses have a higher tendency to burnout than married nurses [18]. The less tired and
saturated health workers are, they are more emotionally engaged, their physical sense of well-being is better, and
they are more aware of potential safety hazards given the needs of their patients and families [19].
The analysis of Woodhead et al. 2014 [20], showed that increased job demands as well as feelings of stress due to
conscience about the work described by From 2013; Juthberg et al. 2010 create greater professional stress and
people experience more emotional exhaustion, more depersonalization and less personal achievement. Support
from supervisors, friends, family members, and ensuring satisfactory working conditions is associated with less
emotional exhaustion and higher levels of personal achievement [21],[22].
Globally, the root causes of the shortage of nurses include an aging workforce, inadequate financial incentives [23],
long working hours and heavy workloads [24]. The concept of burnout is particularly important due to both
professional and financial losses related to lost working days and the loss of nurses in the profession. The
importance of burnout, but also one's own well-being, must be made aware of and thoroughly understood by nurses
themselves, as well as by management in health and social care institutions, and in case of loss, recognized and
intervened in time [7].

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4. Methods and Results
4.1. Methods
A quantitative method was selected for conducting research of professional burnout of caregivers and nurses of all
education levels conducted in nursing homes across the Republic of Slovenia and Croatia. The total number of
respondents was (N = 436). Of these, there were women (N =401), men (N =30) and five respondents who refused
to declare gender. Looking at the workplace, the questionnaire was completed by caregivers (N =105), nurses with
secondary education (N =176), nurses with a bachelor's degree also referred to as registered nurses (N =108),
nurses with master's degree (N =17), while 30 questionnaires were completed by “other” occupations such as
physiotherapists, social workers, and employees who take care of the users in the home. A three-part questionnaire
was used in the research. The first part of the questionnaire consisted of demographic questions followed by
questions about job satisfaction and working conditions, while a validated questionnaire – The Oldenburg Burnout
Inventory (OLBI) [25] - was used to determine burnout, which measures the two basic dimensions of combustion –
exhaustion and alienation. In their work and research, Demerouti and Bakker 2008, define exhaustion as the result
of intense affective, cognitive, and physical stress, while alienation as personal distancing from work [25]. The
questionnaire was utilized in Google Forms, and the survey was conducted online. The Governments of the
Republic of Slovenia and Croatia provided lists of all elderly homes in the Republic of Slovenia and Croatia, to
which an e-mail was sent requesting the signing of the attached consent to conduct examinations of nurses of all
education levels and caregivers, along with a link to the questionnaire. The directors of the institutions were asked
to approve the research and to send a link via Viber, WhatsApp, Messenger, or e-mail to the employees of the
institution or the nurse responsible for health care in the institution and requested them to complete the
questionnaire. The questionnaire was completed on a voluntary basis, anonymously, and completing and sending it
to the examiner served as an informed consent to participate in the research. The collected data were processed by
the IBM-SPSS 25 statistical data processing program.
4.2. Results
4.2.1. Descriptive statistic of the total number of respondents who completed the questionnaire
Table 1. Descriptive statistics of results on the burnout questionnaire (N = 436)
Parameter Statistics
Mean 2.531
Median 2.562
Variance .068
Std. deviation .259
Minimum 1.563
Maximum 3.125

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Range 1.563
Skewness -.426
Kurtosis .547
The analysis of the received data from the questionnaire on professional combustion resulted in the following:
arithmetic mean - M = 2.531; confidance interval 95% CI (2.51, 2.56); median = 2.562; standard deviation SD =
0.259; min = 1.563; max = 3.125.
Table 2. Values of testing the normality of the distribution of results on the questionnaire
Parameter
Kolmogorov-Smirnov
statistic .092
df 436
p .000
Shapiro-Wilk
statistic .981
df 436
p .000
Table 2 shows that the distribution of results on the burnout questionnaire is statistically significantly different from
normal p = 0.000
Table 3. Frequency and percentage of respondents in certain clinical categories
Parameter
Burnout
Frequency Percent
Low 1 .2
Medium 297 68.1
High 138 31.7
Total 436 100.0
In the examined sample of clinical categories, only one has a low level of professional burnout, 297 (68.1%) have a
medium level, while 138 (31.7%) respondents have a high level. Criteria were taken from the author Delgadillo et
al. (2018) who in their work established the clinical levels of burnout.

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4.2.2 The relationship between age groups of respondents and the expression of burnout
Table 4. Descriptive statistics of results on the burnout questionnaire by age groups
Parameter
Statistics - Age
1. from
18 -24 years
2. from
25 -33 years
3. from
34 -44 years
4. from
45 -54 years
5. from
55 -65 years
Mean 2.488 2.498 2.557 2.513 2.596
Median 2.500 2.500 2.562 2.500 2.625
Variance .074 .061 .073 .068 .058
Std. deviation .271 .247 .269 .260 .240
Minimum 1.563 1.938 1.750 1.813 1.875
Maximum 2.938 3.063 3.125 3.125 3.125
Range 1.375 1.125 1.375 1.313 1.250
Skewness -1.091 -.125 -.674 -.099 -.527
Kurtosis 2.231 -.087 .793 .249 .968
Table 5. Values of testing the normality of the distribution of results on the burnout questionnaire by age groups
Kolmogorov-Smirnov Shapiro-Wilk
Age Statistics df p Statistics df p
1. 18-24 .171 47 .001 .929 47 .007
2. 25-33 .086 93 .089 .982 93 .239
3. 34-44 .130 105 .000 .964 105 .006
4. 45-54 .080 122 .053 .986 122 .255
5 55-65 .126 69 .008 .963 69 .037
In Table 5, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test showed that the distributions of the results on the burnout questionnaire
in the age groups from 18 to 24, 34 to 44, and 55 to 65 differed significantly from normal.
Table 6. Number and percentage of respondents in certain burnout clinical categories by age groups
Age
Crosstabulation- Burnout in clinical categories
low medium high total
(Group 1)
from 18 -24
years
Count 1 31 15 47
% within age 2.1% 66.0% 31.9% 100.0%
% within burnout
in clin.categ.
100% 10.4% 10.9% 10.8%

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% total 0.2% 7.1% 3.4% 10.8%
(Group 2)
from 25 -33
years
Count 0 69 24 93
% within age 0.0% 74.2% 25.8% 100.0%
% within burnout
in clin.categ.
0.0% 23.2% 17.4% 21.3%
% total 0.0% 15.8% 5.5% 21.3%
(Group 3)
from 34 -44
years
Count 0 64 41 105
% within age 0.0% 61.0% 39.0% 100.0%
% within burnout
in clin.categ.
0.0% 21.5% 29.7% 24.1%
% total 0.0% 14.7% 9.4% 24.1%
(Group 4)
from 45 -54
years
Count 0 91 31 122
% within age 0.0% 74.6% 25.4% 100.0%
% within burnout
in clin.categ.
0.0% 30.6% 22.5% 28.0%
% total 0.0% 20.9% 7.1% 28.0%
(Group 5)
from 55 -65
years
Count 0 42 27 69
% within age 0.0% 60.9% 39.1% 100.0%
% within burnout
in clin.categ.
0.0% 14.1% 19.6% 15.8%
% total 0.0% 9.6% 6.2% 15.8%
Total Count 1 297 138 436
% within age for the
whole sample
0.2% 68.1% 31.7% 100.0%
% within burnout
in clin.categ.
100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
% total 0.2% 68.1% 31.7% 100.0%

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From Table 6 it can be concluded that the relatively highest level of burnout is within the clinical category “high”
in the age Group 3, present in 29.7% of respondents. However, when observing clinical groups, the highest levels
of burnout are in age Groups 3 and 5, both having the same percentage of 39% of respondents.
Table 7. Kruskal-Wallis test values when testing differences between groups according to the result on the burnout
questionnaire
Parameter
Age
Kruskal-Wallis test
N Mean Rank
from 18-24 47 201.52
from 25-33 93 200.02
from 34-44 105 235.29
from 45-54 122 205.56
from 55-65 69 252.30
Total 436
Table 7a. Kruskal-Wallis test values when testing differences between groups according to the result on the
burnout questionnaire
Parameter Burnout
Kruskal-Wallis H 11.046
df 4
P .026
According to the Kruskal-Wallis test p <0.05 (p = 0.026) which indicates that there is a statistically significant
difference in the results on the burnout questionnaire between different age groups.
In order to prove a statistically significant difference in burnout between age groups, a series of Mann-Whitney
tests were conducted.
Table 8. Mann-Whitney test
Parameter
Age
Ranks
N Mean Rank Sum of ranks
from 18-24 47 68.21 3206.00
from 34-44 105 80.21 8422.00
Total 152

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Table 8a. Mann-Whitney test
Parameter Burnout
Mann-Whitney U 2078.000
Wilcoxon W 3206.000
z -1.559
p .119
Tables 8 and 8a show that there are no statistically significant differences in burnout levels between age groups
18-24 and 34-44 (p = 0.119) because p > 0.05.
Parameter
Age
Ranks
from 18-24 47 84.07 3951.50
from 45-54 122 85.36 10413.50
Total 169
Parameter Burnout
Wilcoxon W 3951.500
z -.153
p .878
18-24 and 45-54 (p = 0.878) because p > 0.05.
Parameter
Age
Ranks
from 25-33 93 91.05 8468.00
from 34-44 105 106.98 11233.00
Total 198

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Parameter Burnout
Wilcoxon W 8468.000
z -1.959
p .050
Tables 10 and 10a show that the difference in the results on the burnout questionnaire is statistically significant (p =
0.05) p≤ 0.05 in the direction that the age group 34-44 achieves significantly higher results than the group aged
25-33.
Parameter
Age
Ranks
from 25-33 93 73.20 6807.50
from 55-65 69 92.69 6395.50
Total 162
Parameter Burnout
Wilcoxon W 6807.500
z -2.625
p .009
25-33.
Parameter
Age
Ranks
from 34-44 105 85.10 8936.00
from 55-65 69 91.14 6289.00
Total 174

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Parameter Burnout
Wilcoxon W 8936.000
z -.777
p .437
34-44 and 55-65 because p > 0.05 (p = 0.437).
Parameter
Age
Ranks
from 45-54 122 88.49 10796.00
from 55-65 69 109.28 7540.00
Total 191
Parameter Burnout
Wilcoxon W 10796.000
z -2.505
p .012
45-54. Other combinations of pairs when testing differences in results show that they are not statistically
significant.
4.2.3. The relationship between education of respondents and the expression of burnout
Table 14. Number of respondents in certain categories according to the level of education
Burnout
Ranks
Education N
Mean
Rank
Caregiver 105 216.99
Nurse.secondary 176 212.47

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education
Registered nurse
(Bachelor degree)
108 231.00
Master's degree 17 243.50
Other 30 200.00
Total 436
Table 15. Values of the Kruskal-Wallis test for testing differences in the results of the burnout questionnaire
between groups with different levels of education
Parameter Education
Kruskal-Wallis H 2.816
df 4
p .589
Tables 15 shows that there are no statistically significant differences between groups with different levels of
education because p > 0.05 (p = 0.589).
Table 16. Number and percentage of respondents in certain clinical categories by education level
Education
Caregiver Count 0 75 30 105
% within
education
0.0% 71.4% 28.6% 100.0%
% within burnout
in clin.categ.
0.0% 25.3% 21.7% 24.1%
% total 0.0% 17.2% 6.9% 24.1%
Nurse secondary
education
Count 0 123 53 176
% within
education
0.0% 69.9% 30.1% 100.0%
% within burnout 0.0% 41.4% 38.4% 40.4%

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in clin.categ.
% total 0.0% 28.2% 12.2% 40.4%
Registered nurse
(Bachelor
degree)
Count 0 67 41 108
% within
education
0.0% 62.0% 38.0% 100.0%
% within burnout
in clin.categ.
0.0% 22.6% 29.7% 24.8%
% total 0.0% 15.4% 9.4% 24.8%
Master's degree Count 0 11 6 17
% within
education
0.0% 64.7% 35.3% 100.0%
% within burnout
in clin.categ.
0.0% 3.7% 4.3% 3.9%
% total 0.0% 2.5% 1.4% 3.9%
Other Count 1 21 8 30
% within
education
3.3% 70.0% 26.7% 100.0%
% within burnout
in clin.categ.
100.0% 7.1% 5.8% 6.9%
% total 0.2% 4.8% 1.8% 6.9%
% within
education for the
whole sample
0.2% 68.1% 31.7% 100.0%
% within burnout
in clin.categ.
100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
% total 0.2% 68.1% 31.7% 100.0%

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Education
Caregiver Count 0 75 30 105
% within
education
0.0% 71.4% 28.6% 100.0%
% within burnout
in clin.categ.
0.0% 25.3% 21.7% 24.1%
% total 0.0% 17.2% 6.9% 24.1%
Nurse
secondary
education
Count 0 123 53 176
% within
education
0.0% 69.9% 30.1% 100.0%
% within burnout
in clin.categ.
0.0% 41.4% 38.4% 40.4%
% total 0.0% 28.2% 12.2% 40.4%
Registered
nurse
(Bachelor
degree)
Count 0 67 41 108
% within
education
0.0% 62.0% 38.0% 100.0%
% within burnout
in clin.categ.
0.0% 22.6% 29.7% 24.8%
% total 0.0% 15.4% 9.4% 24.8%
Master's degree Count 0 11 6 17
% within
education
0.0% 64.7% 35.3% 100.0%
% within burnout
in clin.categ.
0.0% 3.7% 4.3% 3.9%

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% total 0.0% 2.5% 1.4% 3.9%
Other Count 1 21 8 30
% within
education
3.3% 70.0% 26.7% 100.0%
% within burnout
in clin.categ.
100.0% 7.1% 5.8% 6.9%
% total 0.2% 4.8% 1.8% 6.9%
% within
education for the
whole sample
0.2% 68.1% 31.7% 100.0%
% within burnout
in clin.categ.
100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
% total 0.2% 68.1% 31.7% 100.0%
Table 16 shows the level of burnout in caregivers and nurses with respect to their education levels. It can be
concluded that no caregiver or nurse has a low level of burnout, but they are all in the categories of relatively
medium or high level. Furthermore, the relatively highest level of burnout within the clinical category “high” have
nurses with secondary education – 38.4% of them. Observing the percentage of respondents according to education
levels within their groups, registered nurses have the relatively highest level of burnout – 38% of them.
4.2.4. The relationship between respondents’ length of service and the expression of burnout
Table 17. Descriptive statistics of length of service on the burnout questionnaire (N = 436)
Parameter
Length of service
Statistics
Mean 17.818
Median 17.000
Variance 140.973
Std. deviation 11.873
Minimum .25
Maximum 43.00
Range 42.75
Skewness .242
Kurtosis -1.176

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Table 17 shows that the average length of service of nurses who completed the questionnaire is slightly greater than
17 years, while the lowest is 3 months (0.25 years) and the longest is 43 years.
Table 18. Values of testing the normality of the length of service distribution
Parameter Length of service
Kolmogorov-Smirnov
statistic .108
df 436
p .000
Shapiro-Wilk
statistic .942
df 436
p .000
Table 18 shows that the distribution of respondents’ length of service is statistically significantly different from
normal.
Table 19. Spearman's rho test values correlate between the length of service and results on the burnout
questionnaire
Parameter
Lenght of service
Spearman's rho test
Length of service Burnout
Length of service 1.000 .091
p .059
N 436 436
Table 19 shows that the correlation is not statistically significant (p = 0.059), so there is no correlation between
length of service and results on the burnout questionnaire.
4.2.5. The relationship between the length of work experience at the current workplace in the nursing home and
burnout
Table 20. Descriptive statistics of the length of work experience at the current workplace on the burnout
questionnaire (N = 436)
Parameter
Work experience
Statistics
Mean 9.981
Median 6.000
Variance 94.118

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Std. deviation 9.701
Minimum .25
Maximum 40.00
Range 39.75
Skewness 1.141
Kurtosis .517
Table 20 shows that the average length of work experience in the current workplace is about 10 years. Meanwhile,
the minimum is 3 months (0.25 years) and the maximum number of years that a respondent has worked in the same
workplace is 40 years.
Table 21. Values of testing the normality of the length of work experience distribution at the current workplace
Parameter
Work experience at
current workplace
Kolmogorov-Smirnov
statistic .180
df 436
p .000
Shapiro-Wilk
statistic .857
df 436
p .000
Table 21 shows that both the Kolmogorov-Smirov and Shapiro-Wilk tests indicate that the distribution of length of
work experience in the current workplace does not follow the normal distribution (p = 0.000)
Table 22. Spearman's rho test values correlate between length of work experience at the current workplace and
results on the burnout questionnaire
Parameter
Spearman's rho test
Work experience at
current workplace
Burnout
Work experience at
current workplace
1.000 .043
p .369
N 436 436

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Table 22 shows that the Sperman rho coefficient is not statistically significant (p = 0.369), thus we can conclude
that there is no statistically significant correlation between the length of work experience in the workplace and the
results on the burnout questionnaire.
5. Discussions
The aim of this research was to investigate the prevalence of burnout among caregivers and nurses of different
education levels who work in nursing homes. The study involved 436 people who voluntarily completed the
questionnaire. Based on the obtained results, conclusions can be drawn about the relationship and impact of age,
education level, length of service and length of work experience in the current workplace with burnout among
nurses and caregivers working in nursing homes across Slovenia and Croatia. Authors Delgadillo et al. 2018, in
their paper set the burnout levels that are attached in the instructions on calculating burnout scoring in the
standardized questionnaire the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory. It states there that the low burnout level is ≤1.62
(low); intermediate level 1.63 – 2.67 (medium); high level of burnout ≥2.68 (high). From this research it is evident
that the average result obtained by the burnout questionnaire in the examined sample is 2.562, which tells us that in
the sample most nurses and caregivers working in homes have a medium level of burnout [26]. This is supported by
the examination of a sample of clinical categories, where only one person has a low level of professional burnout,
68.1% have a medium level, while 31.7% of respondents have a high level.
The highest relative level of burnout in the clinical category “high” had the group of 34-44 years with a share of
29.7%, while at the level of clinical groups with 39% share had groups of 34-44 and 55-65 years. Mann-Whitney
test of comparing the oldest age group 55-65 years with other groups (25-33 and 45-54 years) suggests a possible
conclusion that the older age group shows higher levels of burnout than the younger age groups. Comparing the age
group 34-44 with 25-33, they also obtained statistically significantly higher results, while in other combinations
there are no significant differences. In a study by Kelly et al. 2015, their findings suggest that nurses aged 21-33
years are more susceptible to burnout than their older counterparts aged 34–44 years [27]. The same conclusion was
reached in the work of Lee et al. 2015, in which it was stated that younger nurses are more prone to higher levels of
burnout [28], as the same results obtained by Rosha Nombre et al. 2020 [29]. In their studies Torre et al. 2019 and
Asghar Mohammadpoorasl 2012 did not find a significant correlation between age and burnout level [30],[31]. Our
research with cross-comparison of age groups showed that older nurses have the highest burnout level.
The respondents are divided into four groups based on their education levels: caregivers, nurses with secondary
education, registered nurses and nurses with master's degree. The relatively highest level of burnout in the clinical
category “high” was shown to have nurses with secondary education with a share of 38%, while at the level of
clinical groups it was registered nurses who had the relative highest level of burnout, with a share of 38%.
Relatively average levels of burnout in the clinical category “medium” had nurses with secondary education with a
share of 41.4%, while at the level of clinical groups had caregivers with a share of 71%.
Relatively high burnout levels with a share of 35% is found in nurses with a master's degree, which the same
conclusion was reached by Asghar Mohammadpoorasl 2012 [31]. In their research, Torre et al. 2019 did not find a
significant correlation between education level and burnout [30], nor did Sara Mahmoudi et al. 2020 in theirs [32].

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Analyzing the length of service, we wanted to see if this variable affects the occurrence of burnout in nurses and
caregivers. In the sample analyzed, the average length of service was 17 years, while the lowest length of service
had a person who worked for three months, and the longest length of service had a nurse who worked for 43 years
in her lifetime. Spearman's correlation test, which did not show statistically significant values, was used to analyze
the correlation between length of service and burnout. This study showed that no matter how long their career was,
it was not correlated to the burnout level in nurses and caregivers. The same conclusions were reached by Torre et
al. 2019, whereby they did not find a significant connection between length of service and burnout [30], as
confirmed in a paper by Asghar Mohammadpoorasl 2012 [31]. However, Daniela Filipa Rocha Nobre et al. 2020
stated that people with longer careers have lower levels of burnout [29].
The same analysis was conducted for the variable length of work experience at the current workplace in a nursing
home. Spearman's correlation test did not show statistically significant values and it can be concluded that
regardless of whether nurses previously worked in another workplace or institution and now work in a nursing
home, the data shows that the current length of work experience does not affect the emergence of burnout.
6. Conclusion
It is evident, but also worrying, that all respondents, i.e. all nurses and caregivers, have a medium or high level of
burnout, while only one respondent out of 436 people showed a low level of burnout. In the study, not a single
respondent showed the absence of symptoms that would indicate the absence of burnout. It can be concluded that
older nurses are more susceptible to burnout than younger nurses. Furthermore, highly educated nurses are more
susceptible to relatively high levels of burnout, presumably due to greater responsibility in the workplace.
7. Acknowledgements
Sincere thanks are given to all caregivers, nurses and technicians who completed the questionnaire and contributed
to the research of the burnout phenomenon in nursing homes across Slovenia and Croatia, and the directors of
institutions who gave permission to conduct the research.
Declarations
Source of Funding
This research did not receive any grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
Competing Interests Statement
The author declares no competing financial, professional and personal interests.
Consent for publication
Author declares that he/she consented for the publication of this research work.
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