The purpose of this study was to describe nurse burnout, job satisfaction, and
intention to leave and to explore the relationship of work environment to nursing
outcomes in a sample of 9,698 nurses from181 hospitals in China. Nurses reported
moderate levels of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization and high levels of
reduced personal accomplishment. Nearly one-fifth of the nurses reported high
levels of burnout on all three dimensions. Forty-five percent of the nurses were
dissatisfied with their current job; these nurses were most dissatisfied with their
salary. Five percent of nurses reported an intention to leave. Nurses reporting
mixed and good work environments were less likely to report high burnout, job
dissatisfaction, and intention to leave compared with those in poor work environments.
The results suggest that high burnout and low job satisfaction are
prominent problems for Chinese nurses, and improving work environment might
be an effective strategy for better nursing outcomes in Chinese hospitals.