Abstract

Background: Nurse burnout is a major occupational health problem with implications for workforce retention, quality of care, and patient safety. Contemporary evidence consistently links burnout to increased missed care, adverse events, and reduced safety climate, underscoring the need for updated national data and identification of modifiable organizational factors. Objective: To describe burnout levels among Italian nurses using the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) and to examine associations between burnout, job satisfaction, weekly working hours, and key sociodemographic and professional characteristics. Methods: We conducted a national, observational cross-sectional online survey (Google Forms) between April and May 2026. Convenience and snowball sampling were used via professional social media channels and nursing-related institutional pages. Burnout was measured using the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI; 19 items covering personal, work-related, and patient-related burnout). Responses were converted to standardized 0–100 scores (higher scores = higher burnout); total burnout was computed as the mean of the three subscales. Job satisfaction was assessed on a 1–5 Likert scale. Group comparisons used Mann–Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis tests; associations used Spearman’s rho; multivariable linear regression was fitted to examine factors independently associated with burnout. Results: The sample included 557 nurses; 84.6% were women, 37.0% were aged <30 years, and participants covered all Italian macro-areas (North 52.4%, Centre 21.5%, South 12.4%, Islands 13.6%). Mean burnout scores (0–100) were: total 50.80 ± 18.87, personal 60.11 ± 19.53, work-related 53.30 ± 22.25, patient-related 38.99 ± 22.77. Using conventional cut-offs (<33 low; 33–66 moderate; >66 high), 19.4% had low, 59.8% moderate, and 20.8% high burnout. Total burnout correlated positively with weekly working hours (ρ = 0.180, p < 0.001) and negatively with job satisfaction (ρ = −0.620, p < 0.001). In multivariable models, higher job satisfaction remained the strongest independent factor associated with lower burnout, while working >40 h/week remained independently associated with higher burnout. Conclusions: Burnout among Italian nurses was prevalent at moderate-to-high levels. Job satisfaction emerged as the main organizational factor associated with burnout, while higher workload was also significantly associated with greater burnout levels. These findings highlight the importance of organizational strategies addressing working conditions to support nurse well-being and patient safety.

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