Abstract: Objective To comprehensively evaluate the prevalence of severe burnout among intensive care unit(ICU) nurses in China using meta-analytic methods,providing a scientific foundation for future intervention strategies. Methods A systematic search was conducted to identify literature on burnout among ICU nurses in China. Databases included PubMed,Web of Science,Embase,Cochrane Library,China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI),VIP,Wanfang database,and China Biomedical Literature Database. The search covered studies published from the inception of each database up to August 9,2024. Two researchers independently performed literature screening,quality assessment,and data extraction,followed by meta-analysis using Stata 17.0 software. Results A total of 18 papers met the inclusion criteria,covering a total sample size of 5 290 ICU nurses. Meta-analysis showed that the estimated prevalence of severe emotional exhaustion among ICU nurses was 50.8%(95%CI：44.1%-57.4%),the prevalence of severe depersonalization was 42.4%(95%CI：34.1%-51.0%),and the prevalence of severe personal accomplishment deficiency was 59.9%(95%CI：46.9%-72.3%). Further subgroup analyses showed that ICU nurses aged 18-30 years,with a specialist degree,1-<5 years of ICU experience,from the eastern region,and in studies conducted from 2011 to 2017 had a relatively high prevalence of severe burnout. Conclusion Burnout among ICU nurses in China is relatively common and is influenced by multiple factors,including age,educational background,years of experience,and geographic location. Healthcare administrators and nursing leaders should focus on specific subgroups of ICU nurses and implement targeted intervention strategies to reduce their burnout levels.

Key words: Burnout, Intensive care unit nurses, Meta-analysis, Cross-sectional study