# The current status of job burnout among online nurses delivering Internet+ home care services and influencing factors: a cross-sectional study

## TL;DR

This study explores job burnout and coping strategies among Chinese nurses providing online home care, finding that positive coping reduces burnout.

## Contribution

Examines burnout and coping styles in 'Internet+' home care nurses, a previously underexplored group in China.

## Key findings

- Positive coping styles were negatively correlated with job burnout (r = −0.415, p < 0.01).
- Nurses in outpatient and emergency departments with higher education and marital status had lower burnout.
- Negative coping styles were positively correlated with burnout (r = 0.174, p < 0.01).

## Abstract

Nurse burnout is prevalent. Most existing studies focus on specialized units—such as ICUs and emergency departments. In China, “Internet+” home care is primarily delivered part-time by clinical nurses from tertiary hospitals. Yet, stress coping strategies and burnout among these nurses remain underexplored. This study examines the relationship between coping styles and burnout in this context.

A cross-sectional design was used. From September to November 2024, a total of 311 nurses from seven tertiary hospitals who performed “internet +” services were surveyed, of whom 287 completed valid questionnaires and were included in the final analysis. The relationship between stress coping styles and job burnout levels was analyzed using the Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire (SCSQ) and the Nurse Burnout Scale (NBS).

Nurses reported low job burnout scores (122.29 ± 28.46; ranging 57–228), indicating either extremely mild or no job burnout. Nurses who employed positive or negative coping strategies reported scores of 22.03 ± 7.56 (range 0–36) and 9.56 ± 5.01 (range 0–24), respectively. Specifically, positive coping styles were negatively correlated with total job burnout scores (r = −0.415, p < 0.01), whereas negative coping styles were positively correlated with total scores (r = 0.174, p < 0.01). Factors that influence job burnout include nurses' clinical department, educational background, marital status, average monthly income from “internet +” nursing services over the past three months, and coping styles. Married nurses with higher academic qualifications working in outpatient and emergency care departments experienced notably lower levels of job burnout.

The stress coping styles of nurses who provide “internet +” nursing services in tertiary hospitals and job burnout levels are significantly correlated. Nursing managers should focus on stress coping strategies and job burnout awareness to create environments in which positive coping strategies are encouraged. This approach may reduce job burnout among nurses in tertiary hospitals while promoting their overall physical and mental wellbeing. Enhancing nurses' job satisfaction and happiness with “internet +” nursing services can improve work quality, reduce turnover, and meet the increasing demand for nursing and health services.