Which behavior by ICU nurses may indicate staff burnout?

Which behavior by ICU nurses may indicate staff burnout?

• A. Increased client acuity
• B. Nurses being floated to other units
• C. Increased ability to delegate nursing responsibilities
• D. Decreased staff nurse-to-client ratio assignments

Answer: (B)

Burnout in ICU nurses often shows up as coping behaviors that reveal they’re operating under chronic stress and fatigue. When staff are overwhelmed, one common response is being floated to other units to cover gaps across the hospital. This behavior signals that the unit is under staffing strain and that nurses are pushing beyond their usual role to keep patient care going, which is a red flag for burnout. The other options describe factors or coping that don’t by themselves reflect a nurse’s burnout behavior. Increased client acuity raises workload but isn’t a behavior the nurse exhibits. An increased ability to delegate might indicate adaptive coping or support rather than burnout. A decreased staff nurse-to-client ratio would typically reduce workload, not indicate burnout behavior.

Burnout in ICU nurses often shows up as coping behaviors that reveal they’re operating under chronic stress and fatigue. When staff are overwhelmed, one common response is being floated to other units to cover gaps across the hospital. This behavior signals that the unit is under staffing strain and that nurses are pushing beyond their usual role to keep patient care going, which is a red flag for burnout.

The other options describe factors or coping that don’t by themselves reflect a nurse’s burnout behavior. Increased client acuity raises workload but isn’t a behavior the nurse exhibits. An increased ability to delegate might indicate adaptive coping or support rather than burnout. A decreased staff nurse-to-client ratio would typically reduce workload, not indicate burnout behavior.