Burnout Syndrome Predictors in Nursing Professionals During and After the COVID‐19 Pandemic: A Prospective Cohort

AIM: To analyse predictors of burnout in nursing professionals during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN: Cohort study. METHOD: A two-phase study conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic's peak (2020) and post-vaccination period (2022). Data from nursing professionals of four hospitals in southern Brazil included sociodemographic, occupational, lifestyle, and health variables, and Maslach Burnout Inventory responses. Multivariate logistic and linear regression analyses were used to identify independent predictors of burnout syndrome. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee (approval no. 4.152.027). RESULTS: A sample of 163 participants were assessed at two distinct time points. In 2020, 9.2% of nursing professionals experienced burnout syndrome, decreasing slightly to 7.4% in 2022. As for the burnout dimensions, emotional exhaustion was reported by 27% of professionals in 2020 and 26.4% in 2022. Depersonalisation affected 28.2% during the pandemic and 25.2% afterward. Low professional accomplishment was identified in 29.4% of professionals in 2020, increasing to 30.1% in 2022. Distinct predictors were identified for overall burnout and its specific dimensions. The main predictors included: perceiving a mental health impact from the pandemic, previous mental health issues, recent medical leave, and working directly with COVID-19 patients. CONCLUSIONS: Burnout syndrome remained stable post-pandemic. Key predictors were identified, highlighting the need for preventive mental health interventions. RELEVANCE FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE: Identifying predictors of burnout in nursing professionals supports the development of targeted interventions to protect mental health, improve job satisfaction, and enhance the quality of patient care during and after health crises. IMPACTS: This study fills a gap in post-pandemic research by identifying predictors of burnout in nursing professionals. It supports the development of policies and interventions to protect mental health and improve working conditions in Brazilian hospitals. REPORTING METHOD: STROBE guidelines for cohort studies. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Participants contributed only through data collection.