Burnout is a syndrome caused by chronic work-related stress. Mental health nurses are particularly vulnerable due to high emotional demands, patient characteristics, and heavy workload. This study aime to describe the dynamics of burnout, contributing factors, and coping strategies among mental health nurses at Soerojo Hospital Magelang.
This study employed a qualitative phenomenological approach. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, non-participant observation, and documentation. The participants consisted of six main informants and two triangulation informants. Data were analyzed inductively through data reduction, data display, and thematic conclucion drawing.
The findings showed that burnout manifested as mental and emotional exhaustion, boredom, decreased motivation and performance, emotional suppression to maintain professionalism, feelings of guilt and anxiety related to clinical risks and legal responsibility, also maintaining distance. Contributing factors included multitasking demands, rapid prioritization, patient characteristics, shift work, staff shortages, limited facilities, coordination barriers, digital administrative workload, performance evaluation pressure, clinical risks and legal responsibility. Coping strategies included emotional regulation, team-based social support, separating work from home life, spiritual coping, physical activity, recreation, managerial strategies, interprofessional coordination, and competency development.
It is recommended that hospital management strengthen organizational support, adjust workload on available resources, and provide facilities and programs to improve nurses psychological well-being. Nurses are also encouraged to develop adaptive coping to prevent burnout.