Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

A Pilot Project To Improve The Well-Being Of Inpatient Nurse Managers At An Academic Medical Center Through A Mindfulness-Based Intervention, Nancy Wiederhold

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Purpose: To decrease inpatient nurse managers' burnout, stress, and compassion fatigue through attendance at a mindful, self-compassion intensive program.

Background/Significance: Nurse leaders and managers are indispensable pillars of the healthcare team, carrying the responsibility of shaping organizational success and ensuring quality patient care. Unfortunately, the current landscape of nursing leadership is clouded by sentiments of powerlessness, hopelessness, and guilt.

Description: Recognizing the practical challenges faced by nurse managers, a targeted intervention was implemented – a four-week, in-person mindfulness-based, self-compassion program. This initiative aimed to equip them with the tools to mitigate stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue. Led by a trained …

Er Staff & Burnout: Interventions For Stress Management, Sara Elizabeth Kerbow

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Nursing is one of the most difficult professions, not only physically exhausting but the mental and emotional toll can create havoc for the person’s life (Scala & Drummond, 2016). This DNP project, “Reset”, was founded on the concept of nursing burnout, compassion fatigue, and secondary trauma causing overwhelming stress related to the emergency room nurse and staff. The purpose of this project was to show how a 15-minute mental health reset can play an essential role in stress reduction. By using complementary health modalities such as lavender essential oil with diffuser, visual imagery, and massage while listening to soft calming …

Cardiovascular Disease In Firefighters, Emily Jordan Baldwin

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

This quality improvement project aimed to address the problem of increased cardiovascular events in firefighters in a county in the foothills of North Carolina. Nola Pender and Dorothy Orem’s theories were utilized for this project. The literature review exhibits the prevalence and significance of cardiovascular disease in firefighters. The literature review demonstrates the benefits healthy eating and exercise have on the heart and towards the prevention of cardiovascular disease. A pre- and post-test was utilized for this project and allowed for the collection of data appropriately. The results showed education on cardiovascular disease, exercise, and healthy eating increased the knowledge …

Evaluation Of A Peer Support Group Implementation To Reduce Burnout In Nursing Staff On An Acute Inpatient Mental Health Unit, Marilyn Scott

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Burnout is feeling emotionally overwhelmed and exhausted due to stress in the workplace. Caring for acute psychiatric patients can impact the mental health of nursing staff and contribute to high-stress levels. Nursing burnout contributes to staffing shortages and increased risk for adverse patient safety events in an acute inpatient mental health unit.

Purpose: The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Quality Improvement (QI) project was to evaluate the impact of a peer support group on burnout reduction in the nursing staff working in an acute inpatient mental health unit.

Methods: A peer support group was implemented …

Enhancement Of A Peer Mentorship Program For Student Registered Nurse Anesthetist, Cassie Starrett, Katrina Harlan

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Nurse anesthesia programs are associated with rigorous didactic work, doctoral projects, long clinical days, and high levels of financial debt (Mesisca & Mainwaring, 2021). Doctoral students experience significantly higher levels of stress than other graduate students, necessitating resources that support emotional wellness (Griffin et al., 2017). A mentorship program for student registered nurse anesthesiologists (SRNA) may help minimize perceived stress and lessen the adverse physical and psychological effects. While mentorships foster both personal and professional success for mentees, mentors also report increased interest in professional development, productivity, and satisfaction (Flexman & Gelb, 2011). This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness …

Decreasing Nursing Burnout Post Covid-19 Pandemic Through Complementary Therapies, Linda Martiin

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

This quality improvement project aimed to address the problem of nursing burnout post COVID-19 pandemic through complementary therapies. Nursing burnout can be mental, emotional, or physical exhaustion which an excessive amount of prolonged stress can cause. Nursing burnout has affected nursing staff worldwide, directly impacting the care provided to patients and the patient's satisfaction. The Nursing Worklife Model was utilized as the theoretical framework for this project (Appendix A). The literature review exhibits the prevalence of nursing burnout in nursing staff. A quantitative study was utilized for this project. The Oldenburg Burnout Inventory was utilized to establish the participant's level …

How Essential Oils Help Prevent Against Healthcare Workers’ Burnout, Lauren Casey

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

This project set out to see if stress and anxiety (leading to burnout) could be combatted with the use of essential oils (EOs). Burnout is a common concern amongst the medical community and healthcare providers are leaving their jobs and field at unprecedented rates. While EOs have been used for patients, they are rarely used for the healthcare providers’ benefit. Because of that, this project wanted to focus on the employee for a change, which in turn would benefit the patient by having a mentally-present provider and the company by having less turnover. The project consisted of a pre-survey prior …

Providing Mbsr Tools To First Year Adn Nursing Students: A Dnp Project, Katherin Brandt

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Abstract

As part of the educational training provided to nursing students it is important to not only provide information regarding stress management, but also to give them tools that they can use to handle stressful situations more effectively. Literature supports the use of mindfulness techniques practiced regularly to decrease stress and anxiety. This DNP project developed, implemented, and evaluated the addition of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) techniques into the curriculum of the first-year Medical Surgical nursing course in a prelicensure Associate Degree Nursing program. The project was guided by Watson’s Theory of Human Caring and the Model for Improvement (PDSA …

Superwoman Schema: Fighting Back With Holistic Therapy, Chavonne Good

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

For decades, Black women have upheld the stereotype of being consistently strong, capable, tenacious, and unwavering throughout life’s many challenges. Unfortunately, while being resolute in their desire to succeed against all odds, many Black women have unknowingly embraced the characteristics of a phenomenon known as Superwoman Schema. Superwoman Schema consists of five characteristics that are not inherently negative. However, when Black women consistently embody these traits which include the determination to succeed and to be strong, and an obligation to help others; they may neglect their own self-care needs. Subsequently, while neglecting themselves, focusing on others, and continuously trying to …

Evaluating The Impact Of Resilience Training In The Group Home Care Provider Population, Gwangia O. Hudson

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Stress, compassion fatigue (CF), and burnout are all potential problems faced by those who have adopted a career in caring for others. Poorly managed stresses are associated with strained work interactions, dysfunctional personal connections, poor health, and poor quality of work (Edwards & Burnard, 2003; Richardson et al., 2015; Zajac et al., 2017). Organizations do well to focus on preventing stress, CF, and burnout; and or at a minimum providing, employees with tools to build resilience (Edwards & Burnard, 2003; Gentry, 2018; Zajac et al., 2017).

Self-Care Practice In Nursing, Leslie Rhom

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Nurses encounter multiple stressors throughout each shift. If this is not managed well through self-care and coping strategies, it can negatively impact one 's health and the well-being and care delivered to patients. The purpose of this project is to bring awareness of current self-care strengths and limitations of nursing students, equipping students with evidence-based practices to enhance self-care. This effort can lead to improved patient care outcomes by decreasing job turnover, burnout, and compassion fatigue. The participants in this project were pre-licensure nursing students in the final semester of nursing school. Participants attended a didactic lecture, completed the Mindful …

A Psychoeducational Support Group For Family Caregivers Of Elders With Major Neurocognitive Disorder/ Dementia, Brooke D. Katz

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Dementia is a major public health problem impacting an estimated 65.7 million people worldwide by 2030. It primarily occurs in the elderly population (over age 65) and also affects family caregivers, who often experience significant stress and burden. A psychoeducational support group may be an easy and cost-effective solution to caregiver stress and financial burden.

Objective: To determine whether or not there is an effect on self-reported stress and burden on family caregivers of elders with dementia (EWD) of a voluntary psychoeducational support group in the setting of Assisted Living, Memory Support, and Skilled Nursing led by a psychiatric …