Analysis of the Burden of Increased Workload and Nurse Burnout
Description of the Healthcare Stressor
The escalating workload within healthcare settings has emerged as a significant stressor, resulting in nurse burnout, a phenomenon that poses detrimental consequences for healthcare organizations. This burnout is intricately linked with a host of negative outcomes, including diminished morale, heightened stress levels, and even depression among healthcare workers. These repercussions further extend to reduced efficiency and a decline in the quality of patient care. The mounting workload also gives rise to physical and mental exhaustion, fatigue, and a loss of concentration, which can culminate in medical errors and lower patient satisfaction levels. White et al. (2020) underscore that nurse burnout stemming from increased workloads adversely affects productivity, leading to increased absenteeism and elevated turnover rates within healthcare institutions.
Tips for Delivering Online Nursing Class Presentations
Supporting Data
Empirical data from healthcare organizations corroborates the substantial impact of burnout resulting from heightened workloads. For instance, research conducted by the International Journal of Health Services has estimated that medical errors attributed to burnout result in an annual cost of approximately $17.1 billion in the United States. Another study published in the American Journal of Health Promotion reveals that healthcare organizations experience an 11% reduction in productivity and a 10% increase in absenteeism due to burnout. Moreover, research conducted by the American Journal of Nursing has illuminated a concerning 25% surge in turnover rates linked to burnout.
Struggling to meet your deadline?
Get your assignment on Analysis of the Burden of Increased Workload and Nurse Burnout done by certified MDs and PhDs in the USA. ORDER NOW!
Summary of the Articles
The study by Christianson et al. (2022) delves into the impact of COVID-19 on nurses’ intentions to leave the profession, specifically exploring the interplay between work-related burnout and compassion fatigue. These stress-induced states of exhaustion and emotional depletion significantly influence nurses’ decisions to leave the profession. Importantly, this intention to leave was found to be unrelated to factors such as race, gender, or years of experience. The study’s findings emphasize the urgency of implementing interventions aimed at reducing burnout and compassion fatigue to prevent nurse attrition during the pandemic.
Meanwhile, the article authored by Olaleye, Christianson, and Hoot (2022) conducts a scoping review to investigate the issue of nurse burnout and resiliency in critical care nurses. This comprehensive review addresses the prevalence of burnout and its potential contributing factors, such as work demands, workloads, working conditions, and job satisfaction. The article also highlights the importance of resilience and its impact on burnout. It advocates for targeted interventions to mitigate burnout, including the provision of resources, improved communication, and the establishment of support systems. The authors conclude that further research is essential to gain a deeper understanding of the factors contributing to burnout and resilience among critical care nurses.
How Increased Workload and Nurse Burnout Stressors Are Being Addressed
Healthcare organizations have adopted proactive strategies to address the pressing issues of increased workload and nurse burnout. A paramount approach involves the prioritization of nurse-patient ratios, often referred to as “safe staffing.” By increasing the number of nurses available, hospitals and healthcare facilities are able to alleviate nurse workloads, thus ensuring that nurses can provide high-quality care to all patients. Additionally, organizations are placing a strong emphasis on nurse retention. This involves enhancing the workplace culture, offering competitive compensation and benefits, and introducing flexible work schedules. These measures collectively create an environment where nurses feel supported and valued for their dedication and hard work. The well-being of employees is inextricably linked to their work engagement (Jacobs et al., 2018). Furthermore, many organizations are investing in technology and resources that streamline certain aspects of care, such as electronic medical records, to save nurses’ time. Lastly, healthcare organizations are providing nurses with ongoing training and education to keep them abreast of the latest healthcare trends and technologies. By adopting these strategies, healthcare institutions are actively combatting nurse burnout and, in turn, enhancing the quality of patient care.
Summary of Strategies
The strategies employed to address nurse burnout and increased workloads encompass several key areas, including:
1. Increasing managerial support and communication.
2. Implementing stress management and self-care programs.
3. Cultivating a supportive work environment.
4. Offering flexible working hours, job sharing, and shift rotation.
5. Implementing workload balancing and task delegation.
6. Providing mentorship, coaching, and education.
7. Offering resources such as counseling, peer support, and employee assistance programs.
8. Advocating for nurse wellness and safety.
These multifaceted strategies are designed to reduce nurse burnout and stress, ultimately leading to improved job satisfaction, reduced absenteeism, enhanced patient care, increased productivity, and heightened organizational morale. However, it is imperative to note that the effectiveness of these strategies is contingent on their proper implementation and alignment with the organization’s unique needs and challenges. For instance, strategies like flexible working hours may not be feasible for an organization with limited resources. Similarly, organizations lacking the capacity to provide mentorship, coaching, and education may not fully benefit from these approaches. Hence, a tailored and well-informed approach is crucial for success.
Impact on the Organization
The strategies implemented to address nurse burnout and increased workloads, as outlined in the scholarly resources, have the potential to yield both positive and negative impacts on healthcare organizations. On the positive side, these strategies are expected to enhance job satisfaction, reduce stress and burnout, and elevate the quality of patient care (Jun et al., 2021). They may also contribute to heightened nurse productivity and creativity, reduced absenteeism, and improved organizational morale. However, if not executed appropriately or without due consideration of the organization’s unique circumstances, these strategies could have adverse consequences. For instance, an organization that lacks the resources to implement flexible working hours or job sharing may not witness a substantial reduction in burnout. Likewise, the absence of resources for mentorship, coaching, and education may render such strategies ineffective. Therefore, organizations must carefully evaluate their capacity and tailor their approach to ensure the strategies’ success.
ReferencesChristianson, J., Johnson, N., Nelson, A., & Singh, M. (2022). Work-Related Burnout, Compassion Fatigue, and Nurse Intention to Leave the Profession During COVID-19. Nurse Leader. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mnl.2022.06.007
Jacobs, B., McGovern, J., Heinmiller, J., & Drenkard, K. (2018). Engaging employees in well-being: Moving from the triple aim to the quadruple aim. Nursing administration quarterly, 42(3), 231–245. https://doi.org/10.1097/NAQ.0000000000000303
Jun, J., Ojemeni, M. M., Kalamani, R., Tong, J., & Crecelius, M. L. (2021). Relationship between nurse burnout, patient and organizational outcomes: Systematic review. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 119, 103933. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2021.103933
Olaleye, T. T., Christianson, T. M., & Hoot, T. J. (2022). Nurse burnout and resiliency in critical care nurses: a scoping review. International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences, 17, 100461. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijans.2022.100461
White, E. M., Aiken, L. H., Sloane, D. M., & McHugh, M. D. (2020). Nursing home work environment, care quality, registered nurse burnout and job dissatisfaction. Geriatric Nursing, 41(2), 158-164. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gerinurse.2019.08.007
ANALYSIS OF A PERTINENT HEALTHCARE ISSUE
The Quadruple Aim provides broad categories of goals to pursue to maintain and improve healthcare. Within each goal are many issues that, if addressed successfully, may have a positive impact on outcomes. For example, healthcare leaders are being tasked to shift from an emphasis on disease management often provided in an acute care setting to health promotion and disease prevention delivered in primary care settings. Efforts in this area can have significant positive impacts by reducing the need for primary healthcare and by reducing the stress on the healthcare system.
Changes in the industry only serve to stress what has always been true; namely, that the healthcare field has always faced significant challenges, and that goals to improve healthcare will always involve multiple stakeholders. This should not seem surprising given the circumstances. Indeed, when a growing population needs care, there are factors involved such as the demands of providing that care and the rising costs associated with healthcare. Generally, it is not surprising that the field of healthcare is an industry facing multifaceted issues that evolve over time.
In this module’s Discussion, you reviewed some healthcare issues/stressors and selected one for further review. For this Assignment, you will consider in more detail the healthcare issue/stressor you selected. You will also review research that addresses the issue/stressor and write a white paper to your organization’s leadership that addresses the issue/stressor you selected.
RESOURCES
Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.
Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.
To Prepare:
- Review the national healthcare issues/stressors presented in the Resources and reflect on the national healthcare issue/stressor you selected for study.
- Reflect on the feedback you received from your colleagues on your Discussion post for the national healthcare issue/stressor you selected.
- Identify and review two additional scholarly resources (not included in the Resources for this module) that focus on change strategies implemented by healthcare organizations to address your selected national healthcare issue/stressor.
The Assignment (2-3 Pages):
Analysis of a Pertinent Healthcare Issue
Develop a 2 to 3 page paper, written to your organization’s leadership team, addressing your selected national healthcare issue/stressor and how it is impacting your work setting. Be sure to address the following:
- Describe the national healthcare issue/stressor you selected and its impact on your organization. Use organizational data to quantify the impact (if necessary, seek assistance from leadership or appropriate stakeholders in your organization).
- Provide a brief summary of the two articles you reviewed from outside resources on the national healthcare issue/stressor. Explain how the healthcare issue/stressor is being addressed in other organizations.
- Summarize the strategies used to address the organizational impact of national healthcare issues/stressors presented in the scholarly resources you selected. Explain how they may impact your organization both positively and negatively. Be specific and provide examples.
Looking Ahead
The paper you develop in Module 1 will be revisited and revised in Module 2. Review the Assignment instructions for Module 2 to prepare for your revised paper.
BY DAY 7 OF WEEK 2
Submit your paper.
SUBMISSION INFORMATION
Before submitting your final assignment, you can check your draft for authenticity. To check your draft, access the Turnitin Drafts from the Start Here area.
- To submit your completed assignment, save your Assignment as WK2Assgn_LastName_Firstinitial
- Then, click on Start Assignment near the top of the page.
- Next, click on Upload File and select Submit Assignment for review.
Rubric
| Criteria | Ratings | Pts | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Develop a 2-3 page paper, written to your organization’s leadership team, addressing the selected national healthcare issue/stressor and how it is impacting your work setting. Be sure to address the following: · Describe the national healthcare issue/stressor you selected and its impact on your organization. · Use organizational data to quantify the impact (if necessary, seek assistance from leadership or appropriate stakeholders in your organization).
|
|
|||||
|
· Provide a summary of the two articles you reviewed from outside resources, on the national healthcare issue/stressor. · Explain how the healthcare issue/stressor is being addressed in other organizations.
|
|
|||||
|
· Summarize the strategies used to address the organizational impact of national healthcare issues/stressors presented in the scholarly resources you selected. · Explain how the strategies may impact your organization both positively and negatively. Be specific and provide examples.
|
|
|||||
|
Resource Synthesis
|
|
|||||
|
Written Expression and Formatting—Paragraph Development and Organization:Paragraphs make clear points that support well-developed ideas, flow logically, and demonstrate continuity of ideas. Sentences are carefully focused—neither long and rambling nor short and lacking substance. A clear and comprehensive purpose statement and introduction is provided, which delineates all required criteria.
|
|
|||||
|
Written Expression and Formatting—English Writing Standards: Correct grammar, mechanics, and proper punctuation.
|
|
|||||
|
Written Expression and Formatting: The paper follows correct APA format for title page, headings, font, spacing, margins, indentations, page numbers, running head, parenthetical/in-text citations, and reference list.
|
|
|||||
|
Total Points: 100 ANALYSIS OF A PERTINENT HEALTHCARE ISSUE
|
||||||