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Supporting a Healthy Work Environment by Attending to Nurse Mattering
No full textBackground: Mattering, the feeling that you make a difference and are significant to others,1 is endorsed by the U.S. Surgeon General as an essential part of a healthy work environment.2 Mattering is negatively associated with nursing burnout and turnover, and targeted interventions to enhance nurses’ perceptions of mattering may be useful for making systemic changes to the nursing work environment. 3,4 To-date there are no studies that explore how nurses perceive they matter at work.
Purpose: To explore aspects of the health care work environment that influence nurses’ perceptions of mattering and identify workplace changes that can be made to enhance nurse mattering.
Methods: Nurses’ experiences and perceptions of mattering in the health care work environment were explored through individual, semi-structured interviews. Participants were screened to ensure they were registered nurses who were licensed and practiced in the U.S., worked in inpatient facilities, and provided direct patient care on acute and/or critical care units.
Results: A sample of 22 registered nurses participated in interviews. Thematic analysis resulted in 4 themes that explored how nurses perceive they matter at work: 1) Mattering as an individual, 2) Having a voice is important for mattering, 3) Recognition and appreciation support mattering, 4) Attending to well-being enhances mattering. Recommendations for workplace changes to enhance nurse mattering were made based on these themes and participants’ suggestions.
Conclusion: There are multiple workplace factors that impact how nurses perceive they matter, and these influences can be addressed through workplace changes and interventions to enhance nurse mattering. Attending to nurse mattering in the health care work environment may enhance nurses’ perceptions of how they are valued at work. Work place changes to improve nurse mattering may support healthy work environments and lead to improvements in nursing burnout and turnover
Reigniting the Passion: Alluring our Future Leaders
No full textBackground/Significance: Although the influence of leadership style on empowerment and job satisfaction of the workforce has been documented, there are few researchers who examined the influence of the leader’s experience in developing not only their own leadership skills in the creation and sustainment of healthy work environments but to engage and “train up” the development of our future nurse leaders. The current nursing workforce is struggling with engagement and retention and the lack of interest in leadership in the emerging generations.The empirical evidence supports of the creation of the healthy work environment whether it is a Magnet designated facility or not. There remains the continuing question: How do we develop future nurse leaders and equip them with the leadership skills necessary to create and sustain these healthy work environments in which the staff nurses thrive, promote excellence, the patients get the best quality care, and there is a sense of trust, stability, and empowerment?Purpose: This researcher studied the lived experience of nurse leaders to understand the influences that guided their success. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of 12 influential nurse leaders from the state of Arizona to better understand the influences and development of successful nurse leaders, how to develop the future leadership, and to better engage the younger generations. In essence, how can we speak their language?Conclusions: Six themes emerged during the study: have and use your voice; take leadership on the “walk”; invest in yourself and others; you own the culture; development of own style; and mentoring, teaching, and coaching. The data analysis led to the development of the six themes with subthemes that have been further advanced to allure the future generations of leadership, promoting the development/sustainability of healthy work environments, and leadership skills engaging the next generation workforce.Implications or Significance: As the development of future nurse leaders to be highly skilled in acute care settings is desired, the ability to affect the health care of the United States through leadership development by addressing the future generations of the healthcare workforce engagement is greater. This study may be used for positive social change to transform the work environments of patient care, to further develop leadership and health policy, and to overall affect patient outcomes
Examining the Self-Care Practices and Needs of Baccalaureate Nursing Students
No full textNursing students are taught to promote self-care for patients, but they often neglect their own self-care.1 Stress, combined with lack of effective coping strategies, can lead to burnout and health problems among nursing students.2 Interventions designed to improve self-care practices of nursing students are needed to reduce stress and improve well-being.3 The purpose of this study was to examine the self-care practices and needs of baccalaureate nursing students to inform a curricular intervention. This study used a cross-sectional descriptive survey design involving baccalaureate nursing students (N=112) at a liberal arts college in the Midwestern United States. Self-care practices were examined using the 52-item Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (HPLPII)4 which provides an overall score in addition to six subscale scores. Survey items used a Likert scale from 1) never to 4) routinely. Nursing students also responded to questions regarding their interest in a future self-care elective course. Data were analyzed in Microsoft Excel using descriptive statistics. The overall health promoting lifestyle mean score was 2.68 (SD=.31). Subscale scores were as follows: 1) Health Responsibility: Mean=2.11, SD=.40; 2) Physical Activity: Mean=2.65, SD=.61; 3) Nutrition: Mean=2.47, SD=.41; 4) Spiritual Growth: Mean=3.13, SD=.45; 5) Interpersonal Relations: Mean=3.28, SD=.44; 6) Stress Management: Mean=2.42, SD=.48. Seventy percent of students were either interested (n=39) or very interested (n=39) in taking a nursing self-care elective course. Students were most interested in physical activity (n=45), nutrition (n=43), and mindfulness (n=42) as course activities, followed by sleep (n=36) and journaling (n=32). Overall, nursing students demonstrated positive scores on the spiritual growth and interpersonal relations subscales of the HPLPII. Scores on the physical activity, nutrition, and stress management HPLPII subscales indicated room for improvement. Interest level in a future self-care elective nursing course was high. Limitations include the potential for self-reporting bias and lack of generalizability. Offering a self-care elective course within a nursing curriculum may be an innovative way to promote the self-care practices of nursing students. Strengthening self-care practices may also enhance students’ transition to the nursing workforce, reducing stress, and preventing burnout.
Work-Life Balance Strategies for Nurse Faculty to Reduce Burnout
No full textAccording to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) (2022), nurse faculty vacancy rates continue to increase, threatening the ability to educate future healthcare professionals (Darnell et al., 2020; Gazza, 2022). Due to the shortage of qualified educators, faculty in academia are expected to fulfill multiple roles, thus increasing workload demands (Singh et al., 2019). With increased workload expectations, faculty require frequent adaptation to maintain a healthy work-life balance (Poole & Spies, 2021; Singh et al., 2019).
Previous research in academia has found correlations between work-life balance and emotional exhaustion, well-being, job retention, educator burnout, and job satisfaction using valid tools such as the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (Alves et al., 2019; Crawford et al., 2023; Singh et al., 2022; Wei & Ye, 2022). With previous studies focusing primarily on student resilience and mindfulness practices, there is a lack of information about the exhaustion, disengagement, and burnout levels for nursing faculty related to coping strategies used to achieve a better work and life balance
Crisis Intervention Training to Improve Nurse’s Job Satisfaction in Mental Health Settings
No full textThis study addresses a specific issue in the psychiatric and mental health residential nursing setting. The objective of the study was to address the problem identified based on evidence-based practice and literature showing that there are weaknesses and gaps within the population. In a psychiatric and mental health care setting, would more specific and extensive crisis intervention training for nurses provide improved job satisfaction for those nurses in a 6-week period? The population included to address the clinical practice problem and objective is registered nurses with all levels of experience in residential psychiatric and mental health nursing, ranging from new graduates to those considered expert nurses. The population was chosen based on the lack of specialty specific training in clinical practice experience as well as in the evidence shown in a literature review. Overall, current nurses working in this specific psychiatric and mental health organization were included and the study showed improvement in job satisfaction after being provided with crisis intervention training as the intervention
Quantitative Analysis of Hardiness Within Night Shift Nurses: A Survey-Based Study
No full textThis dissertation proposal aims to examine the relationship between fixed night shift nurses and their level of hardiness using the Dispositional Resilience Scale (DRS-15). The study focuses on nurses working in acute care settings, categorized into four groups based on years of night shift experience: 0-2 years, 3-6 years, 7-9 years, and 10+ years.The research employs a cross-sectional quantitative design, utilizing an online survey comprising demographic questions and the DRS-15. The theoretical framework is the society-to-cells resilience theory, which integrates multiple levels of analysis to understand human development and resilience.The study has two primary aims:1. Determine the level of hardiness in fixed night shift nurses across the four experience groups using the DRS-15.2. Evaluate the levels of the three components of hardiness (commitment, control, and challenge) in night shift nurses.Statistical analyses will include descriptive statistics, Pearson\u27s r correlation, one-way ANOVA, and logistic regression models. The research hypothesizes that nurses working fixed night shifts for over 10 years will score higher on the DRS-15 hardiness scale compared to those with less experience. Additionally, it proposes that night shift nurses will score highest on the challenge component of hardiness, compared to commitment and control.The study addresses several gaps in the literature, including the lack of research on nurses\u27 tenure in night shift work, limited exploration of positive perceptions of night shift work, and insufficient knowledge about hardiness in career night shift nurses. By focusing on fixed night shift nurses and their levels of hardiness over time, this research aims to provide insights into shift work tolerance and adaptation.The findings from this study are expected to contribute to the understanding of hardiness in night shift nurses, potentially informing strategies for nurse retention, improving work environments, and developing targeted interventions to enhance nurses\u27 resilience. This knowledge could be crucial for healthcare systems in identifying individuals who might thrive in night shift environments and in fostering resources to support night shift nurses\u27 well-being and performanc
Operative Encounter Registry by the G4 Alliance for Surgical, Obstetric, Trauma and Anesthesia Care
No full textAccess to safe surgical care significantly impacts morbidity, mortality, and quality of life. The 2015 Lancet Commission on Global Surgery emphasized integrating surgical and anesthesia services into national health systems to achieve global health goals. However, low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) face challenges, including a lack of data on operative care, limiting efforts to address disparities and develop effective policies.1The Operative Encounter Registry (OER) was created to collect and analyze data on surgical, anesthesia, and nursing care, aiming to improve health outcomes, inform policy, and strengthen health systems in LMICs. The OER was developed under the guidance of the WHO Department for Integrated Health Services Clinical Services and Systems (CSY) Unit with technical support from the G4 Alliance OER Working Group. It was introduced at a children\u27s hospital in Laos to track surgical and anesthetic outcomes for quality improvement. The project addressed the lack of reliable data in LMICs, focusing on mortality outcomes and quality improvement. Over four weeks, operating theater staff entered data prospectively.2In the demonstration project, 75 patients were analyzed. The patient population was predominantly male (77%), with 38% under age 5. Trauma-related surgeries, particularly orthopedic injuries (37%), were the most common. Anesthesia care was provided exclusively by nurse anesthetists or trainees, with 34% of cases utilizing regional anesthesia. The WHO surgical safety checklist was used in 53 of 63 applicable cases, and all patients were stable upon transfer from the operating theater.The findings show that the OER enables high-quality data collection and identifies areas for improvement in surgical and anesthesia care. By providing actionable data, the registry can support local and global policy development, enhance health system capacity, and improve patient outcomes. Additionally, this study reinforces the vital role of nurse anesthetists in expanding access to safe anesthesia in underserved regions like Laos, where provider shortages remain a significant barrier.The introduction of the OER represents a promising step in addressing surgical and anesthesia care gaps in LMICs. By fostering global health collaboration and leveraging real-time data for quality improvement, this initiative offers a pathway to strengthen health systems and improve care delivery in resource-limited settings
Exploring the Relationship Between Sleep Hygiene Habits and Fatigue in College Students
No full textPurpose: This study explores the relationship between sleep hygiene and fatigue in undergraduate college students. Sleep hygiene is a term that relates to habits that promote better sleep. These habits include maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, creating a comfortable sleep environment, avoiding stimulants before bedtime, engaging in relaxing pre-sleep routines, stress management, and more (Al-Kandari et al., 2017). Along with that, fatigue is a state of decreased ability and effectiveness that is associated with changes in an individual\u27s performance and well-being (Li et al., 2022). This is important to understand in college students because poor sleep hygiene and resulting fatigue can negatively impact their academic success, mental health, and overall quality of life during a critical period of personal and professional development. The aims of this study are to (1) understand the sleep hygiene habits of college students and (2) investigate the relationship between sleep hygiene habits and fatigue in college students.Method: This study utilizes a descriptive correlational survey approach to gather data from undergraduate college students aged 18-24 at one institution. Data collection is anticipated for January 2025, after IRB approval. Instruments include the Sleep Hygiene Index (SHI) and the Fatigue Symptom Inventory (FSI). Descriptive and correlational statistics will be utilized to analyze the data.Results: Pending.Conclusion: Pending. This study\u27s findings may contribute to future research exploring interventions designed to improve sleep hygiene habits and address fatigue among college students
The Impact of a Robust Academic-Practice Partnership: Workplace Violence Simulation Training
No full textA strong academic-practice partnership in nursing is pivotal for educational institutions and healthcare organizations to advance the profession and foster healthy work environments.1 This presentation describes the process of creating and sustaining the Tarheel Academic Practice Partnership (TAPP), a robust collaboration between two healthcare agencies and our school of nursing. The first big success of the partnership was achieved when the TAPP secured external funding to develop a program that promotes healthy work environments for current and future nurses.
The guiding principles developed, and recently reaffirmed, by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and the American Organization for Nursing Leadership2 provided the framework for our journey to TAPP. After building relationships, we executed a charter signed by the three nurse executives defining the principles of shared vision, mutual benefit and respect, clear communication and collaboration, resource sharing, continuous learning and improvement, equity and inclusion, and sustainability. Roles and responsibilities were clearly delineated. An ongoing needs assessment continues to identify synergies and inform our plan. Following the first TAPP retreat, the partnership quickly embraced an opportunity to secure external funding to address workplace violence.
According to the American Nurses Association3, nearly one in four nurses experiences physical, verbal, mental, and/or emotional violence in the workplace, negatively impacting the work environment, recruitment, and retention. To address this critical issue, promote a healthy work environment, and improve nurse retention, TAPP is integrating the American Association of Critical Care Nurses Standards for Healthy Work Environments (HWE)4 into a simulation training program tailored to workplace violence, in alignment with the Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best Practices.5 The training is for nurses and nursing students to improve de-escalation skills and safety. This project demonstrates the value of academic practice partnerships and the tremendous impact on promoting healthy work environments
The Wellness Ambassador for a Healthy Work Environment
No full textNurses are working in a self-care deficit. The lower the self-care quotient, the more at risk a nurse is for safety and quality issues. Recently, the Work Life Balance committee members have completed training to formally become the Wellness Ambassador to support a healthy work environment.Per the ANA Code of Ethics, self - care is more than a nicety. It has been found to be critical to the nurse, the team, and the patient. Each of the Wellness Ambassador surveyed the staff on their unit on what would a healthy work environment include. The overall top two topics identified were: breaks and stress management/tips/information. The Wellness Ambassador was provided with their unit specific goals as well as their engagement results as a guide in developing an action plan.The Work Life Balance committee is part of the Shared Governance structure with representation from each unit. Members of that committee can advance to Wellness Ambassadors through commitment to the mission and completing MHFA. The committee serves as a platform for the Wellness Ambassador to network and share ideas. For example, sharing ideas on what has worked on their units to routinely take breaks. The committee also serves as an opportunity to train the Wellness Ambassador on specific topics that was identified. For example, recognizing the signs and symptoms of bullying and how to address the staff, the resources available and how to communicate with unit leadership on topics of concern. Additionally, the Wellness Ambassador Training program provided the templates and resources to initiate a wellness committee on their unit to address unit specific topics/ issues.After the Wellness Ambassador Training Program was completed a presurvey was administered on their unit. Since introducing the role of Wellness Ambassador to nursing leadership and to staff nurses, the overall pre survey (N = 107) results revealed a 67.62% of staff was aware they had a Wellness Ambassadors on their unit. This is meaningful because as an option for staff since there are times, they may feel intimidated or that the question is not important enough to ask the leadership. There will be a post survey after six months post Wellness Ambassador training to compare pre and post survey post six-month training of the Wellness Ambassador. Data to be included when available