Work stress and burnout among radiology nurses: a cross-sectional study on the mediating role of effort-reward imbalance
BackgroundRadiology nurses face escalating occupational stressors associated with technological advancements and expanding clinical roles; however, evidence on burnout determinants in this specialized population remains limited. This study investigated the interplay between work stress, effort–rewar...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1644328/full |
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| author | ChunQiao Wu Qian Sun Ping Liu Jianbo Ni Jianhua Gu |
| author_facet | ChunQiao Wu Qian Sun Ping Liu Jianbo Ni Jianhua Gu |
| author_sort | ChunQiao Wu |
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| description | BackgroundRadiology nurses face escalating occupational stressors associated with technological advancements and expanding clinical roles; however, evidence on burnout determinants in this specialized population remains limited. This study investigated the interplay between work stress, effort–reward imbalance (ERI), and burnout among radiology nurses, emphasizing the mediating role of ERI.MethodsThis multi-center cross-sectional study enrolled 219 radiology nurses from six tertiary hospitals in China (January–March 2024). Validated instruments were used to assess work stress (Nurse Stressor Scale), ERI (Effort-Reward Imbalance Scale), and burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to evaluate the mediation pathways, with covariates adjusted via multivariate logistic regression.ResultsThe participants presented elevated stress (59.22 ± 6.45), ERIs (mean ratio = 1.26 ± 0.82; 68.9% with ERI values >1), and near-clinical burnout levels (composite score = 3.17 ± 1.18). Emotional exhaustion (3.55 ± 1.95) was predominant. High stress (OR = 6.57, 95% CI = 3.58–12.04) and ERI (OR = 9.92, 95% CI=4.99–19.75) independently predicted moderate-to-severe burnout (38.8% prevalence). Nurses with prolonged weekly hours (65.85 ± 7.69 vs. 60.38 ± 6.22, p < 0.05) and chronic illness over time demonstrated heightened vulnerability. SEM revealed that ERI mediated 47.47% of the total effect of work stress on burnout (indirect effect = 0.047, 95% CI = 0.033–0.064), with distinct pathways through effort-reward disparity (31.31%) and overcommitment (17.17%).ConclusionChronic work stress and perceived effort–reward imbalance synergistically exacerbate burnout risk among radiology nurses, with the ERI mediating nearly half of the impact of stress. Targeted interventions addressing both technical demands and psychosocial inequities—particularly reward systems and workload equity—are urgently needed to mitigate occupational health crises in high-precision health care settings. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c38ede31f2e240e58c103ffc44f89ca2 |
| institution | Matheson Library |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| spelling | doaj-art-c38ede31f2e240e58c103ffc44f89ca22025-07-23T05:35:13ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652025-07-011310.3389/fpubh.2025.16443281644328Work stress and burnout among radiology nurses: a cross-sectional study on the mediating role of effort-reward imbalanceChunQiao Wu0Qian Sun1Ping Liu2Jianbo Ni3Jianhua Gu4Department of Nursing, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Radiology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University (Qingdao), Qingdao, Shandong, ChinaDepartment of Medical Imaging, Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University, Jining, Shandong, ChinaDepartment of Radiology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University (Qingdao), Qingdao, Shandong, ChinaDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, ChinaBackgroundRadiology nurses face escalating occupational stressors associated with technological advancements and expanding clinical roles; however, evidence on burnout determinants in this specialized population remains limited. This study investigated the interplay between work stress, effort–reward imbalance (ERI), and burnout among radiology nurses, emphasizing the mediating role of ERI.MethodsThis multi-center cross-sectional study enrolled 219 radiology nurses from six tertiary hospitals in China (January–March 2024). Validated instruments were used to assess work stress (Nurse Stressor Scale), ERI (Effort-Reward Imbalance Scale), and burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to evaluate the mediation pathways, with covariates adjusted via multivariate logistic regression.ResultsThe participants presented elevated stress (59.22 ± 6.45), ERIs (mean ratio = 1.26 ± 0.82; 68.9% with ERI values >1), and near-clinical burnout levels (composite score = 3.17 ± 1.18). Emotional exhaustion (3.55 ± 1.95) was predominant. High stress (OR = 6.57, 95% CI = 3.58–12.04) and ERI (OR = 9.92, 95% CI=4.99–19.75) independently predicted moderate-to-severe burnout (38.8% prevalence). Nurses with prolonged weekly hours (65.85 ± 7.69 vs. 60.38 ± 6.22, p < 0.05) and chronic illness over time demonstrated heightened vulnerability. SEM revealed that ERI mediated 47.47% of the total effect of work stress on burnout (indirect effect = 0.047, 95% CI = 0.033–0.064), with distinct pathways through effort-reward disparity (31.31%) and overcommitment (17.17%).ConclusionChronic work stress and perceived effort–reward imbalance synergistically exacerbate burnout risk among radiology nurses, with the ERI mediating nearly half of the impact of stress. Targeted interventions addressing both technical demands and psychosocial inequities—particularly reward systems and workload equity—are urgently needed to mitigate occupational health crises in high-precision health care settings.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1644328/fulloccupational stresseffort-reward imbalanceburnoutradiology nursingstructural equation modeling |
| spellingShingle | ChunQiao Wu Qian Sun Ping Liu Jianbo Ni Jianhua Gu Work stress and burnout among radiology nurses: a cross-sectional study on the mediating role of effort-reward imbalance Frontiers in Public Health occupational stress effort-reward imbalance burnout radiology nursing structural equation modeling |
| title | Work stress and burnout among radiology nurses: a cross-sectional study on the mediating role of effort-reward imbalance |
| title_full | Work stress and burnout among radiology nurses: a cross-sectional study on the mediating role of effort-reward imbalance |
| title_fullStr | Work stress and burnout among radiology nurses: a cross-sectional study on the mediating role of effort-reward imbalance |
| title_full_unstemmed | Work stress and burnout among radiology nurses: a cross-sectional study on the mediating role of effort-reward imbalance |
| title_short | Work stress and burnout among radiology nurses: a cross-sectional study on the mediating role of effort-reward imbalance |
| title_sort | work stress and burnout among radiology nurses a cross sectional study on the mediating role of effort reward imbalance |
| topic | occupational stress effort-reward imbalance burnout radiology nursing structural equation modeling |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1644328/full |
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