The Prevalence of Burnout among Nurses in Hospitals of Iran: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background & objectives: Job Burnout in nurses is a barrier to job promotion and achievement to job related goals which results in reduced hospital performance. This study aimed to identify prevalence of job burnout among nurses in Iran. Methods: This study was conducted using a systematic review. All published articles on prevalence of burnout among nurses in Iran from 2000 to 2017 were searched and collected using PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct, Scopus, Magiran, IranMedex, SID and Bibliography section of the retrieved papers and related journals. Finally, 32 studies which were suitable for inclusion in the study, were reviewed using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software. Results: The overall prevalence of job burnout in Iran's hospitals was 25 % (95% Cl 19%-32%) during 2000-2017. The highest job burnout was recorded in Tehran in 2009, 75% (95% Cl: 65%-82%) and the lowest in Hamedan in 2016, 0/2% (95% Cl: 0.1%-0.4%). Significant statistical correlations were observed between job burnout, year of study, nurses' age and sample size (p<0.05). Conclusion: Occupational burnout affects about one-third of nursing staff in Iran. Thus, managers and policymakers should take serious measures to reduce the prevalence of job burnout among nurses.