The Effect of Balint Approach Group Intervention on Burnout and Communication Skills in Nurses

Nurses experience burnout as a response to prolonged exposure to stressors. Burnout significantly reduces nurses' capacity for therapeutic communication by weakening their empathy and active listening skills. Balint therapy is a reflective approach focused on the patient-nurse relationship. In Balint groups, nurses discover how to better manage challenging patient-nurse relationships and strive to improve their interpersonal relationships. Balint groups are particularly helpful in recognizing feelings and thoughts related to patients who are perceived as "difficult." Balint-based interventions are conducive to providing social support by creating a relatively safe atmosphere while respecting nurses' experiences. Furthermore, considering nurses' working conditions, Balint-based interventions are considered an easy-to-implement, time-efficient, and evidence-based approach.

The present study aims to measure the effect of Balint-based group intervention on burnout and communication skills among nurses. The research hypotheses are as follows: H0-1: There is no significant difference in burnout levels between the intervention and control groups. H0-2: There is no significant difference in communication skills between the intervention and control groups.

This study was conducted using a two-armed parallel group randomized controlled design with pre-test and post-test measurements, and follow-up assessments were performed at one and three months. Participants included nurses recruited using a purposive sampling method. The inclusion criteria were: (i) having worked as a nurse in the same clinical setting for at least one year and (ii) providing informed consent to participate. The exclusion criterion was the presence of a communication impairment that could hinder participation (e.g., hearing or speech disorder). The criteria for discontinuation from the study included: (i) voluntary withdrawal, (ii) missing at least two sessions, and (iii) incomplete or missing data on the study instruments. A total of 50 nurses were contacted by the research team and underwent eligibility screening. A total of 30 nurses who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled in the study, taking into account a potential dropout rate. The study was completed with a total of 30 nurses, 15 in the intervention group and 15 in the control group. Participants were randomly assigned to either the intervention or control group at a 1:1 ratio using simple randomization.

The primary outcome of the study is burnout, measured using the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Higher scores indicate higher levels of burnout. The secondary outcome is communication skills, measured using the Communication Skills Scale for Health Professionals, with higher scores indicating better communication skills. Both outcomes were assessed at baseline, after the intervention, and at one- and three-month follow-ups.

This study conducted from December 2024 to April 2025. Participating nurses received an online information form and a voluntary consent form. After reviewing the information, participants provided electronic consent. Only those who consented were included in the online intervention sessions.