Empathy and Emotional Regulation as Protective Factors Against Burnout Among Nursing Students: A Multi-National Cross-Sectional Study

Significant levels of psychological disorders and psychological distress among higher education students have been reported worldwide (Galdino et al., 2020), given that during these years there is a peak in prevalence of many mental disorders, particularly major depressive disorder (18.5% to 21.2%), generalized anxiety disorder (18.6% to 16.7%) and drug use disorder (45.9% to 59.8%). (Auerbach et al., 2018). Additionally, compared to other major students, medical school and nursing students experienced higher levels of burnout due to the complex curriculum and pressure for professional performance (Ling et al., 2014). Altogether, this evidence show that nursing students frequently experience psychological and emotional problems such as academic exhaustion, stress, depression, and anxiety during their four years of completing their degree (Hwang & Kim, 2022).

To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first of its kind that addresses the issue of burnout and its relation to empathy and emotional regulation among nursing students at the middle east. Analyzing burnout syndrome among undergraduate nursing students may provide support for managers to implement prevention and management strategies in relation to the syndrome, in order to ensure health and well-being during the professional training process, as well as providing training for nurses engaged and prepared to provide quality care. Thus, this study aims to investigate the burnout syndrome among nursing students and its relation to empathy and emotional regulation.