Digital Commons Network^™

Using Faculty And Staff Voice To Drive Workplace Well-Being Strategy, Angela G. Opsahl, Jennifer Louise Embree, Whitney Osborn

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

The purpose of this presentation is to describe a faculty and staff wellbeing strategy in an academic setting.

Workplaces supporting wellbeing have employees three to nine times more likely to have good mental and physical health, little stress, no burnout, and high-quality work life, compared to workplaces providing little or no wellbeing support.

Academic leaders saw an opportunity to make a difference in faculty and staff wellbeing. Faculty and staff perspectives were identified through the MiniZ Survey General, and open-ended questions, and leaders developed wellbeing sessions and programs. The first session was a wellbeing workshop hosted just prior to an …

Do You Have T.I.M.E.?: A Resiliency Tool, Jessica Sutterfield

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Aims. The study was designed to examine the problem solving tool as an effective method to increase resilience and emotional intelligence for nurses in a hospital setting.

Background. Burnout has become a concern across the United States for the current nursing workforce and is expected to continue to impact the nursing shortage [1]. Resiliency has long been an issue in a demanding and stressful environment at the bedside as well as the hospital setting in general [2]. While research indicates resiliency training and education are effective in increasing resilience, gaps occur in preparing resilient nurses with a proactive approach and …

Self-Leadership Boosts Collaboration And Patient Outcomes, Carine Prinsloo

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Self-leadership is a pivotal concept that enhances the capacity of healthcare professionals to engage in and promote interprofessional collaboration. Self-leadership involves the ability to self-motivate and manage one's actions through behaviour-focused strategies, constructive thought patterns, and natural reward strategies (Neck, et al 2020). Nurses fostering self-leadership, develop a heightened self-awareness that enables them to recognize when to seek support and collaborate with other healthcare professionals effectively. Nurses who exhibit strong self-leadership skills are more likely to engage in proactive communication and collaboration with their colleagues, utilizing interprofessional resources to improve patient outcomes (Matahela & van Rensburg 2023). This collaboration is …

Peer Champions For Team Well-Being, Richard J. Westphal

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Co-worker peer support is a critical component of unit cohesion and social support in high stress exposure teams and can mitigate stress-related symptoms.1 A primary advantage of co-worker peer support is that it is available when needed and provided by those who “get” the context of the stress experience. The effectiveness of peer support programs has begun to take hold, helping institutions address issues of shame and isolation among their healthcare workers.2 Following the COVID pandemic, we see even more calls for health systems, state boards, licensing bodies, and professional organizations to step up and prioritize clinician well-being.3

There are …

Do Well-Being Programs Improve Work Environments? Evaluating State-Level Nurse Peer Support Programs, Pamela B. De Cordova, Irina Grafova, Jennifer Polakowski

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Introduction: Well-being programs geared to improve the work environment should be tailored to the individual and organization (Browne & Tie, 2024). The New Jersey Nursing Emotional Well-Being Institute (NJ-NEW) launched Stress First Aid (SFA) and Virtual Schwartz Rounds (VSR) – peer support programs to address nurse well-being. SFA is a framework of actions to decrease stressors that exist within an individual’s or organizations’ level of control and facilitate recovery (Dong et al., 2022; McLean et al., 2023; Westphal & Watson, 2021). VSR is an online emotional support program led by 2 mental health facilitators and 2 nurse panelists who share …

Guiding Inclusive Learning: Using Ideas To Transform Workplace Diversity And Well-Being, Vanessa Kay Cameron, Jillian Russell, Jennifer Bodine, Rachel Kelter

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Bias, prejudice, or discrimination can be found in all areas of life through action and inaction, creating a call to action for systemic change in nursing (Wakefield et al., 2021). Given the need for a reflective nursing workforce to reduce health disparities (Stanford, 2020) and the predicted nursing shortage, identifying strategies to recruit and retain a diverse nursing workforce in healthy work environments (HWE) is key (Rosseter, 2023). This work aims to provide strategies for educators to develop inclusive learning environments to promote workplace diversity and wellbeing.

Intentional application of inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA) principles can foster belonging …

Unity And Kindness Day: A Transformative Event To Promote Equity, Diversity, And Inclusion, Adisa Cartwright, Michelle Santizo, Dahlia Maldonado, Kelli Obazee

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Introduction: Following social unrest in 2020, nurses at a large health system advocated for structures that celebrate diversity, promote equity, and enhance inclusion. This led to the creation of the Unity in Diversity Nursing Professional Governance Council (UID). After a systemwide assessment of nurse wellbeing, a need to improve the practice environment was identified. This led UID to create the Unity in Kindness Day (UKD) event. Since 2022, UID has hosted UKD; a multi-campus and online event aimed at fostering a healthier work environment through promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). UKD, hosted by nurses, invites all staff members to …

Night Educators Light The Way: Building Confidence, Resiliency & Competence In Novice Nurses, Christine Dunning, Michael Pancoast

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

The Nursing Professional Development team at Northern Westchester Hospital (NWH), a 245 bed community hospital within the larger New York-based Northwell system, heavily invests in recruitment, orientation and training of new graduate nurses. NWH offers a robust onboarding program based through American Nurses Credentialing Center Practice Transition Accreditation Program for medical surgical, intensive care, emergency, and maternal child health units. This heavily structured program draw dozens of novice nurses each year, mostly working on the night shift.

Historically, fewer resources are available off-shift for nurses, particularly access to senior staff and the expertise they provide. Often, this leaves the newest, …

Manifestations Of Nursing Burnout From A Nurse Educator Perspective, Sandra A. Nease, Amanda D'Ann Guerrero

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

The role of the Nurse Educator is pivotal in preparing nursing students as they transition into the nursing profession. As the facilitator of nursing education, they share the knowledge and skills necessary for students to deliver high-quality patient care. The nurse educator’s role requires guiding students through strenuous academic coursework, as well as the development of clinical competence. To foster students achieving constant learning, nurse educators dedicate extended time and effort (Hosseini et al., 2022). Nurse educators are often selfless in the pursuit of providing support for their students. Intense emotional interactions with students present a risk for burnout (Maslach …

Climbing Collectively: Clinical Ladder Modernization Leveraging Shared Decision-Making, Shelby Do, Julie Holland, Dorothy Foglia

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

The clinical ladder program (CLP) at a large Texas healthcare system is a strategy for enhancing professional well-being through fostering a culture of professional development. An opportunity to evaluate and enhance the CLP arose with an impending change to the workforce management solution that would no longer support the current compensation model. Intentional inclusion of direct care nurses (DCN) allowed for shared decision making (SDM) on the CLP changes.

In addition to compensation changes, inclusion of diverse generational needs, diversity/equity/inclusion, and well-being considerations enhanced the CLP. With direct input from DCN groups, the CLP enhancements correlate more contemporary professional/organizational needs …

Comparative Analysis Of Patient Acuity Tools: Enhancing Nursing Efficiency With An Ehr Acuity Tool, Carrundlas D. Mathews

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Introduction: This study aims to contrast a mobility acuity tool with an objective, comprehensive patient acuity tool (PAT). The mobility acuity tool subjectively describes the patient’s ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs) based on a progressive Likert scale. A comprehensive PAT is a standardized system that can be integrated into electronic health records (EHR), quantifying the severity of a patient’s condition and evaluating identified nursing tasks to determine the level of care required in an evolving twenty-four-hours.

Purpose: This study will explore the differences in scope, implementation, nurse perception, and key performance indicators between a mobility tool and …

Fostering A Healthy Work Environment: Assessing And Implementing Aacn Standards, Kelly O'Meara, Lauren Simon, Jacqueline Swindell, Nicolette Vaccaro

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

This project examines the need for enhancing healthcare work environments. Healthy work environments (HWEs) provide increased job satisfaction, retention, and most importantly improved patient outcomes. Unhealthy work environments can lead to job dissatisfaction and poor performance, burnout, high levels of stress, and poor patient care. “To foster healthy work environments, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) established six standards, which include skilled communication, true collaboration, effective decision making, appropriate staffing, meaningful recognition, and authentic leadership” (AACN, 2016). To further study HWEs, the current work environment of a cardiac telemetry unit was assessed by way of interviews, a pre-survey, professional …

Improving Workplace Wellbeing: What Made A Difference?, Laura J. Ridge, Paul Norrod, Maria Titler, Barbara Medvec, Chris Friese

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Abstract Text: Purpose: To investigate previous efforts and to identify promising workplace strategies to improve professional wellbeing among nurses.

Background: There is a mental health crisis in nursing that contributes to high rates of intention to leave (1,2). Systems-based approaches that go beyond the individual are crucial (2,3). But little is known about workplace-based approaches that can improve nurse mental health (1,2).

Methods: We deductively and inductively analyzed 1317 nurses’ survey-based free-text descriptions of strategies used by their workplaces to improve professional wellbeing. Details about the Michigan Nurses Study have been published previously (4). We compared responses from nurses who …

The Lived Experience Of Filipino Nurses Caring For Patients With Covid-19, Kristeline Suasin

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Reports of individuals exhibiting respiratory symptoms causing sudden deaths emerged as a pandemic in the start of a new decade. The onset of the novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) as a worldwide health crisis brought out the significance of the nurses’ role in healthcare. This descriptive phenomenological research focused on the caring experiences of Filipino nurses among patients who were infected with COVID-19 in Negros Oriental, Philippines. Seven participants were identified through purposive and snowball sampling and were asked the question: What is it like to be caring for patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in Negros Oriental, Philippines during this pandemic? …

Path Analysis Of Filipino Nurses' Intent To Stay In The United Kingdom, Blaise B. Nieve, Sarah Bernadette L. Baleña

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Nature and Scope. Nurse attrition remains a significant issue in the UK, particularly among Filipino nurses, who form a substantial portion of the healthcare workforce.

Research Method. This descriptive-correlational study utilized path analysis to identify the best-fit model for predicting the intent to stay among Filipino nurses in the UK, based on job embeddedness, sociocultural adaptation, and job satisfaction. Purposive sampling was employed to recruit 553 respondents, all of whom were Filipino nurses of legal age, qualified to practice in the UK, and employed as registered nurses for at least one year in the public or private sector. Data were …

Workforce Advocacy: An Enhanced Transition Into Practice Program For Advanced Practice Providers, Kimberly Manning

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Abstract Text: Background
An aging population and shortage of providers contribute to shifts in the healthcare landscape and a rapid expansion of Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) in healthcare systems. Effective APP Transition into Practice (TIP) programs are integral to prepare newly practicing APPs for autonomous practice, and the absence of such programs exacerbates role ambiguity and jeopardizes integration and retention of APPs. This gap negatively impacts patient outcomes, disrupts team dynamics, and increases financial strain on healthcare systems.
Purpose
This describes a successful and innovative TIP program. The TIP program aligns with ANCC Magnet® standards, influences patient safety, reduces APP …

Healthcare Providers And The Lingering Influence Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Michelle M. Ness, Leigh Ann Difusco, Jennifer Saylor

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Purpose: To gain a better understanding of the experiences of healthcare providers caring for adult patients during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: A descriptive, qualitative design was conducted using semi-structured interview questions. Eleven participants were recruited from a sample of 28 healthcare providers to participate in video interviews. Thematic analysis was used to analyze data.

Results: Healthcare providers experienced continued distress related to concerns about the long-term effects on themselves, their families, and society. Three themes emerged from the data: (1) exhausted and emotionally numb; (2) vaccinated versus the unvaccinated; and (3) stressors and misguided supports.

Conclusion: …

Evolving Role Of Hospital Chaplains: Optimizing Patient, Staff, Self Well-Being During Pandemic, Linda Y. Kim, Sarah Low, Adrienne Martinez-Hollingsworth, Jason Weiner, Christina Shu, Bernice Coleman, Lucia Florindez

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Abstract Text: Background: The COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented strain upon healthcare systems worldwide, presenting hospital chaplains with unique challenges in responding to the increased emotional, mental, and spiritual distress experienced by patients, families, and staff, while also having to prioritize their own well-being.1-3 Traditional methods of providing care were largely unavailable to these chaplains during the pandemic, requiring them to adopt new strategies and innovative ways to maintain engagement with patients and hospital staff.4-5

Study Aim: This study aimed to explore chaplains' experiences in caring for patients, family, and staff during the height of the pandemic, as the initial step …

Exploring Predictors Of Resilience And Burnout In Acute Care Nursing Leaders, Stephanie Bailey, Shirley D. Martin, Shonna Bracco, Norma Rivera, Regina Urban

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Individuals who work in nurse leader roles are vital to support safe patient care and achievement of organizational goals. They are also at risk for burnout and low levels of professional well-being. This presentation will offer a summary of a research study that explored variables associated with mental well-being in acute care nurse leaders and identified predictors of resilience and burnout.

Uniting Care In The Maternal Neonatal Dyad: A Call To Action For Collaboration, Stephanie Beres

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Purpose: Clinical nurses at a Women’s and Children’s hospital advocated for a new campus-wide nursing practice council upon identifying the need to promote collaboration and ensuring a safe place for a healthy work environment between the maternal and neonatal nursing specialties via shared governance.

Relevance: Collaboration is associated with multiple positive outcomes including but not limited to nursing and clinical excellence, optimal patient outcomes, and an overall healthy work environment as set forth by the AACN framework (American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, 2016). The goal of this council is to improve collaboration, communication, and effective decision making across maternal/neonatal specialties …

Increasing Nursing Professional Development Specialty Certification Rates Amongst The Nursing Professional Development And Informatics Department, Nicole L. Cockerill

Group: Nebraska Methodist College

Problem: Nursing specialty certification promotes professionalism, demonstrates commitment and accountability for lifelong learning and professional development, is associated with improved knowledge and skills, and is linked to improved organizational and patient outcomes. Despite these benefits, certification rates remain low, and nurses still face barriers in obtaining certification.

Intervention: The project intervention was to offer a one-hour introductory class followed by three weekly one-hour Nurse Professional Development (NPD) certification prep courses through Microsoft Teams to the NPD and Informatics Department. The prep course followed the blueprint of the exam and focused on different topics each week.

Measures: Through pre- and post-surveys, …

Supporting Labor And Delivery Nurses Post-Trauma: Addressing Absenteeism And Retention In Practice, Catherine Crawford

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Labor and delivery (L&D) nurses frequently encounter traumatic workplace events that significantly impact their well-being, leading to increased absenteeism and intent to leave the profession (Kendall-Tackett & Beck, 2022; Uddin et al., 2022; Xie et al., 2021). This problem contributes to workforce instability and compromises patient care quality (Al Ismail et al., 2023). The purpose of this study is to examine the correlation between traumatic events, absenteeism, and intent to leave among labor and delivery nurses while discussing strategies to address these challenges.

I performed a mixed-methods study with a national sample of L&D nurses recruited from the Association of …

Contaminated Water And Health Inequities: A Review Of Disparities In Low-Income Populations, Esraa Hussein, Rachel Chung, Chelsea Kim, Jackie Lucas, Erica Kim, Kinsley Wilson, Jasmine Sholy, Rahma Fares, Sharon Ojo, Yashitha Teekaraman, Melane Pira, Bellana Schlosser

General Submissions: Community and Population-based Materials

What are the most reported healthcare disparities associated with exposure to contaminated water in low-income and under-resourced communities?

Objectives: To identify and analyze the most commonly reported healthcare disparities associated with exposure to contaminated water in low-income and under-resourced communities. This research aims to understand how environmental contamination disproportionately impacts healthcare access and outcomes in marginalized populations.

Background: Low-income and under-resourced communities are disproportionately affected by the ongoing global health threat of contaminated water exposure. Pollutants like heavy metals, pathogens, and industrial runoff cause preventable illnesses like skin infections, developmental disorders, and gastrointestinal disorders. Systemic healthcare disparities, such as limited …

Organisational Perspectives Of Support For Nurses Who Identify As Second Victim: A Feasibility Study, Monica Peddle

Sigma Foundation for Nursing Research Grant Reports

The approaches, perceptions and frameworks used by organisations to support second victims is absent from the literature. To enable these professionals to maintain or return to their clinical roles a deeper understanding of the second victim experience and what is required, versus what is available, in terms of support is needed. Exploring second victim support programs from an organisational perspective including the aims of these programs, the elements that are deemed important in support programs, the factors that denote recovery in second victim and the value placed in these support programs is warranted. The research question posed in this study …

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (Eras) Protocol, Jennifer Smith

Group: Nebraska Methodist College

Problem: Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols aim to minimize surgical stress, improve patient outcomes, and shorten hospital stays. While ERAS has shown benefits in various surgical disciplines, challenges were faced in implementing and customizing these protocols for specific populations. This project evaluated how ERAS interventions impact recovery metrics, including hospital length of stay, bowel recovery, and cardiac rehabilitation outcomes.

Intervention: ERAS-based perioperative care strategies were implemented focusing on early mobilization, optimized pain management, reduced opioid use, and timely enteral nutrition. The patients were monitored for compliance and adherence to protocol components to assess their effect on recovery.

Measures: Primary …

Improving The Timing To Antibiotic Administration In Patients That Present To The Emergency Department With Sepsis, Adriana Lott, Christina Vejnovich

Group: Nebraska Methodist College

Problem: Early identification and timely management of sepsis in the emergency department (ED) is critical to reducing morbidity and mortality. Delays in sepsis recognition and antibiotic administration can worsen outcomes. This project aimed to address these challenges. Intervention: A triage sepsis screening (TSS) tool was implemented over 30-days to improve sepsis identification at triage. Staff education related to knowledge and confidence of sepsis was also provided. Measures: The impact of a TSS tool was evaluated using pre- and post-intervention data on antibiotic timing. Staff knowledge was measured with a 4-item multiple-choice quiz, and confidence with a 5-item Likert scale, adapted …

Psychological Stress And Coping Strategies Among Nursing Students During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study, Khin Thandar Aung, Noor Atikah Mat Ail

Individual Articles

Nursing students encountered distinctive obstacles during their academic careers due to the COVID-19 pandemic. An increase in mental health concerns was the consequence of the pandemic, which necessitated numerous modifications to their daily routines. Subsequently, students have implemented distinct stress-management strategies that are contingent upon their individual perspectives. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the psychological stress levels and coping strategies employed by nursing students during this time. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional investigation was implemented online. The data were gathered through online surveys, which encompassed assessments of stress perception and coping strategies. The survey was divided into three sections: …

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Scale And Coping Mechanisms Among Internally Displaced Persons Of Typhoon Yolanda, Christian Paul S. Biluan

Theses

The study aimed to determine the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Scale and the Coping Mechanisms utilized by the Internally Displaced Persons of Typhoon Yolanda. It sought to identify the profile, risk factors of the respondents, the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms manifested and coping mechanisms utilized. The study also distinguished the differences in PTSD and Coping mechanisms when respondents are grouped according to their profile and death of family members and examined the relationship of PTSD and Coping. The study adopted the PTSD Symptom Scale and Brief COPE Inventory questionnaires and were consequently translated to Visayan-Waray. These were then pilot-tested …

Telehealth: A Guideline And Toolkit For Implementation In A Pandemic, Christian Paul S. Biluan, Blitz Hoppe, May Kiker

DNP and Student Works

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed serious gaps in healthcare laws, policies, and technology and has severely disrupted the current delivery of healthcare services. Rural, underserved, and high-risk populations have suffered a harsh decline in needed healthcare services due to the United States’ lack of preparedness, insufficient personal protective equipment, lockdown orders, hospital closures, and fear. Telehealth has long been viewed as a solution to healthcare problems plaguing rural communities, but the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted telehealth into a new spotlight. Now, telehealth is viewed as a possible solution to continuing healthcare services all for patients as the United States continues to …

Implementation Of The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (Moca) Tool For Early Detection Of Dementia, Nadege Djeukui

DNP and Student Works

As the population ages, the prevalence of cognitive impairment increases (Hilsabeck et al., 2024). There are about 10 million new cases reported annually, and over 55 million people worldwide are currently living with dementia, a number projected to increase to 78 million by 2030 (WHO, 2023). Dementia is a growing public health concern that is often underdiagnosed in primary care, leading to missed opportunities for early intervention, care coordination, and patient support. Early detection of dementia is crucial for timely intervention, effective care planning, and enhanced patient outcomes. Early identification of cognitive impairment is critical in improving patient outcomes, enhancing …