Humanized care and burnout syndrome in nurses: A scoping review of their relationship

Abstract

Objective: To map the available scientific evidence on the relationship between humanized care and burnout syndrome among nursing professionals across different healthcare settings.

Materials and Methods: A scoping review was conducted according to the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines and reported following PRISMA-ScR. Searches were performed in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science in September 2025 and supplemented by manual reference-list searching. Study selection was conducted by two reviewers. Twenty-seven primary studies were included, and the findings were synthesized using descriptive and narrative analyses.

Results: A total of 160 associations between dimensions of humanized care and burnout were identified. Emotional exhaustion accounted for the largest number of associations. Relational components, particularly communication, empathy, and presence, were most frequently linked to burnout. Three patterns were identified: a predominant inverse association (15 studies), associations compatible with a possible protective role of humanized care (9 studies), and heterogeneous context-dependent relationships (3 studies).

Conclusions: The relationship between humanized care and burnout is complex and context-dependent. Certain dimensions of humanized care were associated with lower burnout levels, although these relationships were influenced by individual and organizational factors. Institutional strategies that promote professional well-being and person-centered care are required.

Keywords: Nurses; Burnout Psychological; Occupational Stress; Patient-Centered Care; Humanization of Assistance.