Prevalence of Burnout and Its Organisational Predictors Among Nurses in Federal Teaching Hospitals in Northern Nigeria

Nurse burnout is a growing workforce challenge in Nigerian federal teaching hospitals, threatening staff retention, patient safety, and healthcare quality. This study examines the prevalence of burnout and its organisational predictors among nurses working in federal teaching hospitals in Bauchi, Gombe, and Sokoto States. A cross-sectional analytical design is applied to 370 nurses selected through stratified random sampling from the three hospitals. The Maslach Burnout Inventory is used to assess emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, and reduced personal accomplishment, while a supplementary questionnaire measures workload, supervisory support, organisational justice, shift duration, nurse-to-patient ratios, and availability of professional development opportunities. Data are analysed in SPSS, with multiple linear regression identifying significant organisational predictors of each burnout subscale. Available data from the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria 2023 workforce survey indicate that over 40 percent of nurses in northern Nigerian teaching hospitals report symptoms consistent with moderate to high burnout, with inadequate staffing ratios and lack of recognition identified as dominant drivers. The Job Demands-Resources Model provides the primary theoretical framework, examining the interplay of occupational demands and available resources in predicting burnout. Findings will support federal hospital management boards in implementing evidence-based staff welfare policies, workload redistribution frameworks, and recognition schemes. Keywords: nurse burnout, organisational predictors, federal teaching hospitals, nursing workforce, Northern Nigeria.