The Association Between Professional Burnout and Empathetic Exhaustion Among Emergency Department Nurses: An Intervention Approach Based on the Embeddedness Theory

Abstract

Background: Emergency department nurses, operating within a demanding environment, face significant psychological risks, including professional burnout and empathy exhaustion, which often co-occur and exacerbate each other. Current interventions overwhelmingly target individual nurses, such as through resilience training, while neglecting systematic, organizational-level solutions.

Objective: This study proposes an organizational intervention framework grounded in Work Embeddedness Theory. By integrating principles from Conservation of Resources Theory and Empathy Cost Theory, it aims to develop a practical pathway for nursing managers to address the dual crises of burnout and empathy depletion at their systemic roots.

Method: Employing a theory-driven design, we constructed a core intervention logic: enhancing organizational embeddedness (via connection, matching, and sacrifice) → supplementing psychological resources → improving mental health outcomes. Empathy Cost Theory was specifically incorporated to fortify interventions within the “connection” dimension. Concrete modules, steps, and mechanisms were delineated for each dimension, forming a structured organizational pathway.

Results: We developed an integrated intervention pathway featuring three modules and six specific measures: (1) Strengthening Connection (structured buddy systems; post-traumatic debriefings) to build support networks; (2) Optimizing Match (dynamic skill-task alignment; values clarification workshops) to enhance control and meaning; (3) Increasing Sacrifice (tiered honor/benefit systems; visualizing exit costs) to foster commitment. Each measure’s implementation protocol and theoretical rationale are specified.

Conclusion: This study provides a theoretically grounded, actionable organizational intervention pathway. It shifts the management paradigm from repairing individuals to designing supportive systems, offering a blueprint for creating work environments that intrinsically protect and replenish nurses’ psychological resources.