Females working in intensive care units (ICUs) are less likely to suffer from burnout, according to a new study.

Having assessed the personal characteristics of over 3,000 doctors and nurses, researchers from the University of Geneva have indicated that women can cope with the stressful environment of ICUs far better.

It is also thought that being a healthcare assistant, being under 40 and having no children were risk factors for burnout amongst ICU team members.

According to Nursing Times, the study may "open a new frontier" concerning burnout amongst ICU workers and are especially important considering the shortage in critical care nurses. The results may be of interest to those in nurse manager jobs, who will no doubt be looking to employ the most competent staff in such a stressful, demanding role.    

In an interview with nurse.com, lead author of the study, Paolo Merlani, claimed that female nurses were more likely to admit any psychological issues than their male counterparts.

Evaluating the results of his study, he said: "Whether the results can be exported to other medical settings where team-working is pivotal remains for the moment an interesting question to be investigated.

"In the meanwhile, ICU heads should ascertain that personnel at high risk would be especially taken care of, and that resources should be provided to afford psychological support and promote a team culture."