Date of Graduation

Summer 8-19-2022

Document Access

Project/Capstone - Global access

Degree Name

Master of Public Health (MPH)

College/School

School of Nursing and Health Professions

First Advisor

Kelly McDermott

Abstract

Healthcare Worker Burnout (HCWB) has become a global and national phenomenon. Amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, and further exacerbated by the healthcare worker shortage, healthcare institutions and policy makers find themselves in a unique position to incorporate creative solutions to address this seemingly monumental issue. The World Health Organization classifies burnout as an occupational phenomenon due to its causes being rooted in the work environment, rather than the individual. Caused by chronic workplace stress, burnout is characterized by mental exhaustion, feeling depleted, having mental distance from the job at hand, feeling negative or cynical as well as experiencing decreased professional efficacy (World Health Organization, 2019, May 28). HCWB will require a multifaceted evidenced based approach to effectively target and modify the diverse root causes leading to its detrimental effects. The COVID-19 pandemic has been traumatic, for many, on an individual, organizational and societal level. The concept of posttraumatic growth, which is defined as the lasting internal positive transformation that occurs in response to a traumatic event, can be extended from the individual to that of the organization and even to society. The COVID-19 pandemic can be viewed as the traumatic event that has the potential to catapult organizations and policy makers into creating lasting structural changes that have a positive impact on all levels of society. This paper will introduce just such an organizational intervention that addresses HCWB on multiple levels. Informed by literature reviews on the topic, current evidenced based interventions, as well as interviews with emergency room nursing staff directly impacted by HCWB.

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