Characteristics, work environments, and rates of burnout and job dissatisfaction among registered nurses in primary care.

Background: Although more people than ever are seeking primary care, the ratio of primary care providers to the population continues to rapidly decline. As such, registered nurses (RNs) are taking on increasingly central roles in primary care delivery. Yet little is known about their characteristics, their work environments, and the extent to which they experience poor job outcomes such as nurse burnout.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics of the primary care RN workforce and analyze the association of the nurse work environment with job outcomes in primary care.

Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of survey data representing N = 463 RNs who worked in 398 primary care practices, including primary care offices, community clinics, retail/urgent care clinics, and nurse-managed clinics. Survey questions included measures of the nurse work environment and levels of burnout, job dissatisfaction, and intent to leave.

Discussion: Approximately one-third of primary care RNs were burnt out and dissatisfied with their jobs, with the highest risk of these outcomes among RNs in community clinics. Community clinic RNs were also significantly more likely to be Black or Hispanic/Latino, hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and speak English as a second language (all p < .01). Across all settings, better nurse work environments were significantly associated with lower levels of burnout and job dissatisfaction (both p < .01).

Conclusion: Primary care practices must be equipped to support their RN workforce. Adequate nursing resources are especially needed in community clinics, as patients receiving primary care in these settings frequently face structural inequities.