Development of the Differentiation of Self and Role Inventory for Nurses (DSRI-RN): A tool to measure internal dimensions of workplace stress

This article presents the use of Bowen's theory of differentiation as a framework for understanding one aspect of vocational burnout. The theory suggests that persons with low levels of differentiation are at higher risk for emotional exhaustion than those at higher levels. The authors describe the development and pilot-testing of a tool, the Differentiation of Self and Role Inventory for Nurses (DSRI-RN) as a means to assess internal aspects of workplace stress by measuring factors suggested by the theory. Initial use of the DSRI-RN indicates that the tool is reliable and valid and that nurses with higher levels of differentiation expressed lower levels of burnout and greater enthusiasm for nursing. These findings suggest that the DSRI-RN may be used in further studies and opens the possibility of using Bowen's framework in developing interventions assisting nurses to understand and cope with the internal aspects of workplace stress.