EFFECTS OF ORGANIZATIONAL INNOVATIONS IN AIDS CARE ON BURNOUT AMONG URBAN HOSPITAL NURSES

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 whic h care was provided significantly affected the likelihood of nurses re porting that they were emotionally exhausted Nurses who worked in dedi cated or specialized AIDS units, or in ''magnet'' hospitals known to p ossess organizational characteristics attractive to nurses, exhibited lower levels of emotional exhaustion than did nurses who cared for AID S patients in general, scattered-bed medical wits. These differences p ersisted after nurse characteristics were statistically controlled but they were accounted for in part by controlling for the amount of orga nizational support that nurses perceived was present in their workplac es.