Background: Burnout is a public health concern that deserves special attention. It largely affects nurses in Sub-Saharan Africa due to fragile health systems that make workplace environments unconducive. In Uganda, the burden of burnout among nurses is still not well established, which hinders advocacy and the formulation of interventions to reduce burnout among nurses.

Aim: The study aimed to assess the prevalence and factors associated with burnout among Mulago National Referral Hospital nurses.

Methods: This cross-sectional survey was conducted among 273 randomly selected nurses from Mulago National Referral Hospital, Kampala. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Data analysis consisted of descriptive statistics and logistic regression at a 95% significance level in Stata version 17.

Results: The majority (69.9%) of the respondents were female aged 30 years and above. 54.2% of the respondents had high levels of burnout, and 45.8% reported low levels of burnout. Factors associated with burnout were working in the emergency unit at the age of 30 and above, an unsuitable working environment, an inappropriate Nurse-physician relationship, and feeling that administrators control the job.

Conclusion: More than half of Mulago National Referral Hospital nurses experienced high levels of burnout. More nurses should be recruited to reduce workload and improve nurse-physician relationships on most units.

Davis is a dedicated and accomplished Nurse Educator and Early Career Researcher with a strong passion for advancing healthcare education and research. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Mbarara University (2023) and is completing his Postgraduate Diploma in Medical Education at Bishop Stuart University. Professionally, Davis serves as a Nurse Tutor at Mayanja Memorial Medical Training Institute in Mbarara, Uganda. His research endeavors have culminated in publication in the esteemed PLOS One journal. With a unique blend of clinical expertise, teaching insight, and research prowess, Davis is poised to make a lasting impact in the healthcare community.