A-Mei Luo,1 Yuan-Sheng Yang,2 Yan Zhong,1 Rong-Fang Zeng,1 Qiao-Huo Liao,1 Jing Yuan,3 Wan-Ling Xiao,4 Lu-Lu Sun1 

1Department of Paediatrics, The Third People’s Hospital of Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518000, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Hematology, The Third People’s Hospital of Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518000, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Infectious Disease, The Third People’s Hospital of Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518000, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Nursing, The Third People’s Hospital of Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518000, People’s Republic of China

Correspondence: Lu-Lu Sun, Department of Paediatrics, the Third People’s Hospital of Shenzhen, No. 29 of Bulan Road, Longgang District, Shenzhen, 518000, People’s Republic of China, Tel + 86 13510332310, Fax + 0755 61238983, Email sunlulusl@126.com Wan-Ling Xiao, Department of Nursing, The Third People’s Hospital of Shenzhen, No. 29 of Bulan Road, Longgang District, Shenzhen, 518000, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 13 500 054 520, Fax +0755 61 238 983, Email wanling_x01@126.com

Objective: To explore the factors that lead to occupational burnout among nurses in pediatric infectious disease wards after two consecutive years of frontline anti-epidemic work since the admission of COVID-19 patients in January 2020, in order to lay a scientific basis for reducing nurse occupational burnout.
Methods: A total of 12 nurses who working in pediatric infection units were included in the study. Utilizing qualitative research methodologies, we used semi-structured interviews as the primary data collection method. The interview data underwent meticulous organization and were subjected to descriptive analysis.
Results: 12 nurses assigned to pediatric infection wards frequently encounter occupational burnout, primarily attributed to increased work intensity, nurse-patient relationships, occupational frustration, psychological pressure, hospital infections, and various other contributing factors.
Conclusion: We found that the severity of occupational burnout among nurses specializing in pediatric infectious diseases is noteworthy. Our recommendations include heightened consideration of this issue by government authorities and hospital administrators.

Keywords: nurses, children, healthcare personnel, infectious infection area, occupational burnout, qualitative investigation