Data from a survey of more than 800 nurses who care for AIDS patients revealed that the organizational form of the unit and hospital in which care was provided significantly affected the likelihood of nurses reporting that they were emotionally exhausted. Nurses who worked in dedicated or specialized AIDS units, or in “magnet” hospitals known to possess organizational characteristics attractive to nurses, exhibited lower levels of emotional exhaustion than did nurses who cared for AIDS patients in general, scattered-bed medical units. These differences persisted after nurse characteristics were statistically controlled, but they were accounted for in part by controlling for the amount of organizational support that nurses perceived was present in their workplaces.
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