Evaluation of a Psychological Capital Intervention to Alleviate Burnout and Regulate Immunity Among Oncology Nurses

Burnout appears to be highly prevalent among oncology nurses, which was a problem not only for the nurses themselves but for the patients for whom they provide care. And burnout-associated biomarkers remain controversial, and their potential roles in burnout are still unclear.

This study was a randomized controlled trial in which the independent variable was group psychological intervention, while the dependent variables were pre- and post-intervention scores on the Maslach burnout inventory and on the psychological capital scale, as well as values for various immunological indicators. In Stage 1 of the study, recruited subjects completed the psychological capital questionnaire and blood was sampled. In Stage 2, the research team administered a custom-designed psychological capital intervention (PCI) to part of the sample, while the other part received routine care . The PCI group received 1 h of counseling twice weekly for a total of 24 weeks in total. In Stage 3, the PCI and control groups completed the questionnaires again and provided blood samples.

Inclusion criteria

• Subjects were officially employed and licensed nurses who had been working in the cancer hospital for at least 2 years.

Exclusion criteria

• Subjects had recently suffered personal health problems or significant negative life events, such as the death or serious illness of a family member, or if they were on maternity leave or other types of leave from their nursing job.