Job burnout significantly affects sleep quality among orthopedic nurses, with emotional exhaustion having the greatest impact, and those who are married, have long tenure, and have low income are at higher risk.
The majority of orthopedic nurses in the sample had poor sleep quality, with a sleep disorder detection rate of 58.7%.
Orthopedic nurses demonstrated moderate levels of job burnout across all three burnout dimensions.
All three burnout dimensions were moderately positively correlated with PSQI scores, indicating worse sleep quality with higher burnout.
Emotional exhaustion was the strongest burnout predictor of poor sleep quality in multiple linear regression analysis.
Being married, having more than 5 years of work experience, and having low income were demographic factors that significantly predicted poorer sleep quality.
This research suggests that burnout is widespread among orthopedic nurses and is closely linked to poor sleep. In a survey of 184 nurses working in orthopedic units at five major hospitals in Chengdu, China, nearly 6 in 10 nurses had sleep problems significant enough to be classified as sleep disorders. Higher levels of burnout — including feeling emotionally drained, feeling detached from patients, and feeling a reduced sense of personal accomplishment — were all associated with worse sleep quality. Of these burnout dimensions, emotional exhaustion had the strongest connection to poor sleep. The study also found that certain nurses may be at particular risk for sleep problems beyond burnout alone. Nurses who were married, had worked for more than five years, or earned lower incomes also reported worse sleep quality. These findings suggest that the demands of longer careers, family responsibilities, and financial stress may compound the effects of burnout on sleep. This research suggests that addressing burnout — particularly emotional exhaustion — could be an important strategy for improving the sleep health of orthopedic nurses. The authors highlight that reducing workplace burnout and providing stronger support and financial incentives may be key levers for hospitals seeking to protect nurse wellbeing. Better sleep among nurses has potential implications not only for nurse health but also for the quality and safety of patient care.
Tan J, Lei L, Liu F. (2026). Emotional exhaustion predicts poor sleep quality among orthopedic nurses: a cross-sectional study.. Frontiers in public health. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1711331