The issues related to emotional and physical burnout of medical staff have an adverse effect on the quality of healthcare, increase the number of negative outcomes, and decrease patient satisfaction. The problem is related to all nurses worldwide, and it is crucial to identify its primary sources and examine and implement evidence-based resolutions.
The nursing profession requires elevated levels of personal attention toward multiple patients and medical personnel coupled with constant spikes in workload, leading to dissatisfaction with job and exhaustion. The PICOT Question: For nursing personnel in an extensive healthcare system, will stress from work be reduced by implementing a comprehensive workload control system over the 90-day intervention period?
The primary findings suggest that redesigning a work schedule by adding regular breaks, making overtimes voluntary, and giving nurses more control over their practice hours increase perceived performance for participants (Mudallal et al., 2017). Moreover, it was discovered that burnout rates are related to the empowerment of medical staff by optimizing leadership to give nurses more autonomy (Mudallal et al., 2017). The study supports these claims by providing statistics regarding questionnaires from multiple hospitals that show reduced burnout rates in facilities with these policies in place.
The first proposed solution is a change of leadership style within facilities with high levels of burnout of nurses. Additional management positions and leadership training that focuses on adequate consideration of nurses’ mental and physical conditions can positively influence burnout rates. Another solution is to increase the flexibility of performance-based rewards by including nurses’ well-being into consideration. This measure can help understand whether medical personnel suffer from improper time management, high workload, or are forced into performing strenuous procedures.
Major health organizations in the United States have acknowledged that nurses’ exhaustion has an adverse impact on patients’ satisfaction (Dall’Ora et al., 2020). Numerous studies have been conducted to examine this issue, which led to outlining the principles that healthcare facilities can implement to address burnout (Reith, 2018).
The healthcare administrator – has the authority to make changes in workflow according to the data provided by other administrative positions. Nurses of the hospital – the backbone of a hospital, their performance defines the quality of provided care. The human resources manager – represents the interests of employees, has established contact with personnel. The quality and improvement manager – vital to get the results of the efficacy of taken measures. Cost analysis is necessary to properly implement these solutions since they can have an adverse impact on the hospital’s revenue. All stakeholders need to come to a satisfactory conclusion on changes in workload, performance-related rewards, and the expected increase in healthcare quality.
To gain permission for this intervention, it is crucial to collect data regarding burnout rates before the intervention. It might be necessary to establish a position for a nurse who would monitor burnout rates and advise employees on their well-being.
The staff will need to be educated regarding the benefits of workload management. A short learning course regarding physical and mental exhaustion and how to avoid it could help in obtaining favorable results. It is crucial to outline how well-being will be incorporated into employees’ performance statistics.
The implementation will begin with a learning course, after which nurses will be asked about their perceptions of changed shifts and higher autonomy. The first 30-day period after the start of the trial requires close monitoring of burnout rates through weekly questionnaires and the effects of these policies on the hospital revenue and the quality of service. The second part will include changes from the results of the first period. The last part will consist of the questionnaire of nurses’ experiences under the new system and the effects of autonomy on their performance.
To measure the outcomes, it will be necessary to compare the results of surveys before, during, and after the intervention. It is also vital to analyze shifts in the hospital’s performance and revenue. It is necessary to compile a survey that would include rates of exhaustion and its sources. It is also crucial to know nurses’ experience, education, and satisfaction with the workload to understand how these policies affect employees based on these parameters. The primary resource that will be available for the staff, including myself, is time. The support from the administration toward personnel will be vital for the policies to work correctly.
The outcomes of the trial will be analyzed based on the reduction in burnout rates and must consider the quality of healthcare. The report will contain nurses’ changes in well-being, as well as potential revenue shifts due to these policies. The policies might be adjusted to appeal to both the financial and human resources departments of the hospital.
References
Dall’Ora, C., Ball, J., Reinius, M., & Griffiths, P. (2020). Burnout in nursing: A theoretical review. Human Resources for Health, 18(1). Web.
Mudallal, R. H., Othman, W. M., & Al Hassan, N. F. (2017). Nurses’ burnout: The influence of leader empowering behaviors, work conditions, and demographic traits. Inquiry: Journal of Medical Care Organization, Provision, and Financing, 54, 46958017724944. Web.
Reith T. P. (2018). Burnout in United States healthcare professionals: A narrative review. Cureus, 10(12), e3681. Web.