Nursing shifts of 12 hours or more are linked to burnout and job dissatisfaction, according to an international study.

However, the president of the nurses’ union, Maria Cutajar, believes burnout within the profession is also linked to other factors. Among them is the environment of the ward, she told the Times of Malta following the publication of the study led by the University of Southampton, which surveyed 31,000 European hospital nurses.

Ms Cutajar noted there were some limitations in the findings, which the researchers themselves had acknowledged.

The study itself showed that irrespective of the shift hours, nurses still experienced emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and a feeling of low accomplishment.

Read more in the Times of Malta.