Asssigment

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Addressing a Gap in Practice: Nursing Burnout and Retention

Marta Lilian Garcia

Foun Essen Doctor Nurs Practic, Walden University

Evidence Based Practice

Dr. Maria Revel

December 8, 2024

Addressing a Gap in Practice: Nursing Burnout and Retention

Nursing burnout and its impact on staff retention is a well-documented challenge in healthcare. At my practicum site, this issue is exacerbated by high nurse-to-patient ratios, limited access to wellness resources, and inconsistent managerial follow-through on staff concerns. Burnout negatively affects not only nursing staff well-being but also patient care quality, safety, and organizational outcomes. Addressing this gap in practice presents an opportunity to enhance both staff satisfaction and patient outcomes (Garcia et al., 2019).

Gap in Practice

The identified gap is the lack of sustainable strategies to address nurse burnout and improve retention rates. While the organization has introduced wellness programs and conducted staff satisfaction surveys, these initiatives are often reactive and lack a strategic, evidence-based approach. For instance, high patient-to-nurse ratios persist, and the outcomes of satisfaction surveys are rarely translated into actionable improvements. This lack of follow-through creates a cycle where nurses feel unsupported, leading to burnout and turnover (Ramachandran et al., 2023).

Planned Activities to Address the Gap

To address this gap, I will lead several targeted activities throughout the practicum:

1. Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborate with leadership and nursing staff to identify key drivers of burnout, leveraging existing survey data to establish priorities.

2. Evidence Review and Proposal: Conduct a literature review on effective interventions such as mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) programs and optimal nurse-to-patient ratios. Present a proposal to stakeholders outlining evidence-based solutions.

3. Pilot Program Implementation: Assist in designing and implementing a pilot program, such as MBSR workshops for nurses. This program will focus on enhancing resilience and stress management skills.

4. Policy Recommendation: Work with the preceptor to draft a policy recommendation for adjusting nurse-to-patient ratios based on national benchmarks and organizational needs.

5. Evaluation and Feedback: Develop a framework for evaluating the pilot program and any changes in practice, collecting feedback from participants and monitoring metrics like staff satisfaction and retention rates.

Conclusion

This practicum offers a valuable opportunity to address a critical gap in practice by implementing and evaluating targeted interventions. The activities outlined will provide actionable solutions to reduce nursing burnout and improve retention, ultimately supporting both staff and patient outcomes.

References

Garcia, C. L., Abreu, L. C., Ramos, J. L. S., Castro, C. F. D., Smiderle, F. R. N., Santos, J. A. D., & Bezerra, I. M. P. (2019). Influence of burnout on patient safety: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicina, 55(9), 553. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina55090553

Ramachandran, H. J., Bin Mahmud, M. S., Rajendran, P., Jiang, Y., Cheng, L., & Wang, W. (2023). Effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions on psychological well-being, burnout, and post-traumatic stress disorder among nurses: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 32(11-12), 2323–2338. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.16265