Digital Commons Network^™

Addressing Job Satisfaction In Emergency Services: An Exploratory Study, Jacqueline Christianson, Tiffany Warthon, Tala Fuad Abuzahra

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Purpose: Emergency services professionals (ESPs), like emergency medical technicians, paramedics, and registered nurses, work in stressful, low-resource environments and are vulnerable to work-related burnout (Crowe et al., 2020; Hinderer et al., 2014). While many ESPs are motivated by compassion for others, most ESPs never learn what happened to the patients they cared for (Ntatamala & Adams, 2022; Patterson et al., 2005). Disconnection from patient outcomes may limit compassion satisfaction among ESPs and make it more difficult to actualize their role in patient care and contribute to burnout, which negatively affects patient care (Georgakakos et al., 2022). The purpose of this …

Addressing Health And Healing In The Work Environment Through A Wellness Yoga Class, Norah M.M. Airth-Kindree, Der-Fa Lu

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

With escalating nursing faculty shortages, faculty retention is important. Developing an infrastructure to support work-life balance and create programs that address wellness is needed to enhance nursing faculty satisfaction by improving well-being and career satisfaction. Following the Healthy Nurse Healthy Nation initiative launched in 2017 to improve the health of nurses within the United States, educational settings must promote and maintain healthy work environments on a more personal level. Within a midwestern College of Nursing, faculty and instructional academic staff satisfaction surveys are deployed every three years. Overall job satisfaction has plummeted from 90% satisfaction in 2016 to 28% satisfaction …

Examining The Relationship Between Moral Distress And Grit Among Transplant Professionals, Preston H. Miller, Haley Hoy, Shikha Modi, Antonia Primus

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

‘Moral distress’ was originally conceptualized among nurses in 1984 by Professor Andrew Jameton as occurring when a nurse “knows the right thing to do, but institutional constraints make it nearly impossible to pursue the right course of action.” Moral distress has since been studied among a variety of healthcare professionals and can further be characterized as occurring when clinicians are constrained from taking what they believe to be ethically appropriate actions or are forced to take actions that are ethically inappropriate based on their professional obligations, resulting in a sense of complicity and wrongdoing. Conversely, the concept of grit has …

Nurses’ Perspectives Of Their Workplace Well-Being At A Tertiary Hospital In Saudi Arabia, Vimela Moodley, Diane Ross, Maab Basha, Asmaa Khan, Naomi Tuifao, Jennifer De Beer, Jamila Alsharani, Abeer Aljoudy

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Nursing is a demanding profession that requires substantial physical and emotional resilience, making nurses vulnerable to burnout and stress due to high job expectations and challenging work environments. In this context, many nurses are reluctant to seek help or divulge personal stressors, which can adversely affect their performance and coping skills. As a Magnet-recognized healthcare facility, the organization prioritizes outstanding patient outcomes and strives to enhance workplace conditions for nurses. A collaboration between the Magnet department and the Nurse Retention Office aims to understand the influence of the work environment on nursing wellbeing, with a focus on uncovering hidden psychological …

Night To Light Revive Before You Drive, Imelda S. Oca, Armie Poralan, Grace Marie Delgado, Mary Ann Sison, Khadijatu A. Bah

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Background: Drowsy driving and commuting accidents following a night shift are common among healthcare workers including registered nurses (RNs)⁸. Mounting evidence suggests that there is a significantly higher adverse driving event following a night shift^3,4,5,6. The Night to Light Revive Before You Drive is a project of the Night Shift Shared Governance Council which supports the recommendations for health equity in the Future of Nursing 2020-2030 report by the National Academy of Medicine⁹. Through interventions specific to the challenges faced by night shift RNs, the project aims to increase safety awareness to combat drowsy …

The Wellness Ambassador For A Healthy Work Environment, Adriana Rumoro, Judy Friedrichs

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Nurses 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 …

Partnering With Hbcus To Improve Advanced Practice Nursing Workforce Diversity, Marquita P. Lyons-Smith, Ragan Johnson, Brigit Carter, Anne Derouin, Yolanda Vanriel

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Illustrate the value of strategic academic partnerships between Predominately White Institutions (PWIs) and historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to increase diversity in nurse practitioner (NP) academic programs.

Healthcare workforce diversity improves health outcomes for minoritized populations. Advanced practice nurses (APNs) are cornerstones of the primary care workforce. However, less than 10% of practicing NPs are Black. Barriers include lack of APN faculty diversity, student access to higher education, awareness, and cost. Pipeline programs such as summer immersion programs have effectively increased knowledge, increased interest, fostered mentorship, and prepared minoritized students for the graduate school application process. Faculty at a …

A New Tool For Evaluating Virtual Nursing In Hospitals: The In-Hospital Telehealth Questionnaire, Emily Calabro, Rodica Pop

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Purpose/Background: The In-Hospital Telehealth Questionnaire (IHTQ) was developed to address the lack of validated tools for assessing the usability of telehealth and virtual nursing within hospital settings. The IHTQ adapts the Telehealth Usability Questionnaire (TUQ) and incorporates elements from other relevant questionnaires to comprehensively evaluate usability factors like usefulness, ease of use, effectiveness, reliability, and satisfaction. This study is part of a larger research project exploring the integration of virtual nurses and robotics in healthcare.

Methods: The IHTQ was developed following a rigorous scale development process. Items were generated based on a literature review and expert opinions, focusing on key …

Caring For The Caregiver: Enhancing Personal And Professional Well-Being, Alicia A. Craig-Rodriguez, Melissa Bernstein

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

As the most trusted healthcare profession for 22 years running, nurses are often assumed to have a great deal of knowledge and experience regarding the importance of health promoting behaviors such as healthy eating, physical activity, and stress management. However, this knowledge very often does not translate into sustainable change in their own personal and professional practice, as the evidence reveals that nurses often place their patients’ health and well-being well above their own (Linton & Koonman, 2020). Harnessing both personal strengths and leadership skills related to the challenges facing today’s nursing workforce, this presentation will support cultivating a healthy …

Beyond The 9-To-5: The Rx For Happier Healthcare Workers, Emily Calabro, Rodica Pop

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Purpose: This pilot feasibility study aimed to investigate the impact of flexible work schedules on the mental, psychological, and physical health of healthcare workers within a large hospital system.

Background: Traditional work schedules often negatively impact productivity, well-being, and job satisfaction. This study explored the feasibility and benefits of flexible workweeks among different nursing teams.

Methods: A quasi-experimental, mixed-methods, time-series design was implemented across a 12-hospital system with the partnership of 4-Day Global, a leading expert in flexible work schedules. Eligible participants were encouraged to flex their work hours daily or at least weekly. Clinical leaders ensured on-call coverage during …

How Research-Based Listening Techniques/Interventions Improve Communication And Work Environment, Florence Schaefer

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

In the age of multitasking, it is not always easy to stop what we are doing and truly listen to those around us. Mandel, one of the world’s leading providers of communication skills for professionals, published a paper titled “The cost of not listening on your organization”. Within the workplace, not listening attributes to low employee engagement, decreased productivity, and increased turnover. This served as the impetus for the development of this project.

Stephen Covey said, “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply”. Listening for the purpose of replying is …

Making An Impact: Building A Workforce That Represents Our Community, Rosemary Pine, Janelle Headley, Nancy Yuill, Leah Blackwell, Bryan Sisk

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Two decades ago, the Sullivan Commission's report Missing Persons: Minorities in the Health Professions (2004) underscored the need to increase the number of professionals from underrepresented minorities in health care. The report stressed that, “the lack of minority health professionals is compounding the nation's persistent racial and ethnic disparities.” The Advisory Board (2021) recommends action in providing development, advancement, and promotion opportunities for Patient Care Technicians (PCT) who are people of color. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (2022) reports that 46% of certified nursing assistants identify as an underrepresented racial or ethnic minority, Patient care technicians (PCTs) provide a critical …

It's All Connected: The Emotional Triad In Nursing - Workplace Aggression, Burn-Out, And Resilience, Kerstin Hudgins

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

For years, nursing has been dealing with the problems of unhealthy work environments. This session explores the phenomenon of interconnection between the various modalities to combat this issue and discusses prevention strategies. Toxicity will prevail unless we recognize the relationship between incivility, bullying, and other workplace aggressions. By identifying the root causes and making the connection between them, nurses will be able to manage this situation instead of treating these modalities as separate occurrences and issues. Just as nursing is no longer a profession that functions in a silo, we must also approach these issues as interconnected and not as …

Empowering Confidence Through Simulation: De-Escalation Training For Pcts, Lagidgette Chantelle Robinson

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Patient Care Technicians (PCTs) are vital to healthcare delivery, particularly in managing escalating situations with patients. Given the challenges posed by workplace violence, effective de-escalation skills are essential for PCTs. However, traditional training methods may not fully equip them for real-world scenarios. Simulation offers a valuable approach to learning complex skills by replicating real-life situations. Research supports simulation’s effectiveness in enhancing nursing students' communication, self-efficacy, problem-solving abilities, and learning satisfaction. Despite this, the impact of simulation on PCTs' professional development remains underexplored.

This IRB-approved study evaluated the effect of simulation pedagogy on PCTs' confidence in de-escalating aggressive patients. Using a …

The Impact Of A Robust Academic-Practice Partnership: Workplace Violence Simulation Training, Valerie Howard, Lorie Rhine, Jacci Jacobs, Ashley Kellish, Julia Acoin, Angela Overman, Sinhye Kim, Becky Peterson

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

A 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 …

From Surviving To Thriving—Research To Support Nurse Leaders In Addressing Workplace Bullying, Laura Cox Dzurec, Jennifer Hehl

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Nurse leaders play essential roles in managing and addressing the strain that workplace bullies impose on organizations and on the individuals working within them (Al Hassan et al., 2023); yet nurse leaders often report finding themselves personally overwhelmed by bullies’ masterful manipulations (Hampton et al., 2019). As skilled communicators, workplace bullies typically convey messages that appear supportive and in line with organizational expectations (Dzurec, 2020). Those messages most often, though, are insincere, proffered to hide bullies’ real intent—garnering personal and professional power in the workplace (Dolan, 2024). This presentation overviews the investigators’ use of the realist review process (Pearsons, 2024) …

Engaging Nurses To Prevent Workplace Violence, Rebekah Powers, Carol A. Boswell, Nancy Ornelas, Christina S. Ramdeo

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Workplace violence in healthcare settings is a multifaceted problem and must be addressed using various strategies. Engaging nurses and providing opportunities for professional dialogue about workplace violence. The creation of innovative ways to reduce or eliminate workplace violence was the goal of this project.

Interventions
Using grant funds awarded, the team embarked on a 2-year journey to identify and mitigate workplace violence against nurses. The team formed a workplace violence prevention committee which included nurses from various areas of the hospital, implemented educational activities, reviewed hospital policies, re-issued ID badges to not include last names, provided de-escalation training, completed an …

Providing Robust Education On Whole Health Assessment While Enhancing Professional Well-Being, Jean Ann Davison

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

The purpose of this presentation is to highlight innovative teaching strategies for comprehensive whole health while enhancing the professional well-being, and self-care of our students and faculty. Our Advanced Practice RN students’ first clinical course is Advanced Health Assessment which includes a lab component. One learning objective is to use educational strategies and principles of health literacy, coaching, and counseling for SMART goal attainment and shared decision-making in evidence-based health promotion strategies.

While we teach the APRN students about health promotion, disease prevention, motivational interviewing, and SMART goal setting, along with strategies to achieve self-management support in primary care, we …

Authentic Behavior Of Nurses: Antecedents, Mediators, And Outcomes, Pamela J. Love, Brad Gilbreath, Yubo Fu, Jessica Rainbow, Luke Fiorini, Veysel Karan Baris

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Background: Nurses consistently earn the highest trust among professionals in the United States, but the profession experiences high turnover rates, amplified by the increasing demands of an aging population. This study explores factors such as psychological safety, neuroticism, person-group fit, authentic behavior, work engagement, job satisfaction, and turnover intention among nurses. Additionally, it examines the concept of self-verification perception as a mediator of the effects of authentic behavior.

Methods: Data were collected from 956 nurses across the United States using an online questionnaire. Path analysis was employed to analyze the data to identify direct and mediated effects. Psychological safety …

The Student Evaluation Of Clinical Education Environment (Secee) Instrument: Psychometric Testing, Tahani Maashi, Pamela B. De Cordova, Amal Mobarki, Majda Alharbi

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Background: Clinical learning is an important component of nursing education; the student’s clinical learning experience supports the development of clinical competency¹.Therefore, evaluating the quality of the student’s clinical experience is important. The Student Evaluation of Clinical Education Environment (SECEE) instrument has been evaluated and used internationally; however, the tool has not been used to evaluate clinical learning among Arabic-speaking students². A translation and evaluation of the SECEE are required to assess nursing students’ clinical learning experiences in the Arabic population.

Purpose: This study aimed to translate the Student Evaluation of Clinical Education Environment (SECEE) from English …

Exploring The Relationship Between Sleep Hygiene Habits And Fatigue In College Students, Lakesha Carter, Adison Dack

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Purpose: 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's performance and well-being (Li et al., 2022). This is important to understand in college students because poor sleep hygiene and resulting fatigue …

Predictors Associated With Non-Adherence To Postpartum Visits Among Arab Immigrant Women In New Jersey, Abeer Mobarki, Charlotte Thomas-Hawkins

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

The aim of the study Is to explore predisposing and enabling factors that contribute to postpartum visit non-adherence by female immigrants of Arab descent in N.J. Are levels of acculturation, diminished social support, negative health beliefs, and health insurance status independently associated with postpartum visit non-adherence among Arab immigrant women in N.J.?

Background: The underutilization of postpartum care is a global problem that limits the early detection of physical and mental complications during the postpartum period. Internationally, the prevalence of nonadherence to postpartum visits ranges from 25% to 75%. Arab immigrant population in N.J. has doubled since 1980. Yet, …

Assessing The Transition Home: A Study Exploring Post-Deployment Reintegration In The Ar Army National Guard, Erin Michelle Robinson, Pamela Ashcraft

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Service members face a variety of challenges after deployment. The transition home can be difficult due to having to reestablish important relationships, losing intense bonds with battle buddies, and feeling misunderstood, especially after experiencing combat (Adler et al., 2011). The military-civilian divide can also make that transition difficult (Sayer et al., 2021). One of the moderating factors for reintegration is decompression, the process of returning to civilian life (Adler et al., 2011). While there is research about combat and Active-Duty deployments, there is limited information about the post-deployment reintegration experience for service members in the National Guard and Reserve components. …

Association Between Area Deprivation Index And Outcomes After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage, Michelle Chung, Zhirui Deng, Dianxu Ren, Kelly Isola, Elizabeth Crago

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a life-threatening hemorrhagic stroke caused by bleeding in the arachnoid space of the brain, often resulting in long-term disabilities and poor quality of life (QOL). Individuals living in more advantaged neighborhoods report higher levels of QOL post-stroke, but little has been reported about QOL and neighborhood data after SAH.

This study sought to examine the relationship between measures of socioeconomic status (SES) and outcomes after SAH. SES encompasses a variety of factors. For this analysis, the area deprivation index (ADI) - a measurement of neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage - was used as a surrogate for SES. We …

Mapping Expert-Endorsed Communication Skills With Surrogates To Uncertainty In Illness Theory, Jiayi Zhu, Jennifer Burgher Seaman

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Making medical decisions for patients with impaired decision-making capacity due to serious illness is a stressful experience for surrogate decision makers (SDMs), which can result in emotional and psychological distress^6,7 and delayed decision-making³. Uncertainty has been identified as a key contributor to the stress experienced by SDMs in decision-making¹. High-quality communication addressing uncertainty improves the decision-making experience for SDMs^2,3. Yet, there is a lack of targeted education to help healthcare providers effectively address uncertainty in communication with SDMs. Purpose statement: This study aims to identify techniques and strategies clinicians use to address …

Operative Encounter Registry By The G4 Alliance For Surgical, Obstetric, Trauma And Anesthesia Care, Chloé Minahan, Bounmi Lee, Vandee Xiong, Christopher Dodgion, Natalie Sheneman, Neil Wetzig, Robert Winokur, Maly Chittaphai, Richard Henker

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Access 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.¹

The 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 …

Bridging The Gap Of Bipoc Patients, Clinicians, And Doulas, Tasha Chatman

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

The project is a Doctor of Nursing practice quality improvement project addressing the barriers to collaboration between BIPOC prenatal patients, clinicians, and doulas. Maternal mortality and morbidity are a crisis in our nation with black women dying three times more than their white counterparts (Harris, n.d.). BIPOC prenatal patients are suffering from maternal mortality and morbidity. Stemming from such as historical racism, racial inequalities, implicit bias and structural determinants of health. The Doula can give cultural congruent care, impower BIPOC prenatal patients, while providing emotional and physical support. The utilization of a doula as continuous labor support is shown to …

Quantitative Analysis Of Hardiness Within Night Shift Nurses: A Survey-Based Study, Megan Brunson

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

This 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 …

Implementation Of An Evidence-Based Emotional Wellness Program For First-Semester Nursing Students, Alana L. Long

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

First-semester nursing student attrition rates average 35% in a community college located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, with high-stress levels identified as a primary contributing factor. Addressing emotional wellness is critical to mitigating stress and improving retention among nursing students. This project implemented a 4-week evidence-based emotional wellness program to enhance students’ coping strategies, reduce perceived stress, and promote overall well-being. The Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice guided the development and implementation of the program, which included microlearning modules, nature-based experiential learning, meditation, and holistic activities. First-semester nursing students enrolled in a fundamentals of nursing course were …

Mhealth For Nurses' Mental Health, Cynthia Moore

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Background: Post-pandemic surveys show continue to show high rates of exhaustion, burnout, anxiety, and intention to leave the job in hospital nurses. Early-career nurses who experience burnout and exhaustion in the first 1-3 years of their career have a job turnover rate of approximately 46%, and are more prone to physical complaints, insomnia, and cognitive problems 10 years later. Few studies have focused on using mental health mobile apps (mHealth) in the hospital nurse population to help decrease the negative effects of a stressful work environment.

Purpose: This randomized controlled trial (RCT) pilot study has three aims: 1. to determine …