Introduction
The American Nurses Association is dedicated to protecting the nursing profession in various ways. This association comprises numerous professional organizations that strive to foster a safe workplace and promote optimal nursing practices (Nursing World, n.d.). Currently, there is a severe problem in this area, which affects the quality of patient care and the mental health of the specialists. We are talking about burnout, the consequences of which reach severe mental illness and even suicide (Melnyk et al., 2021).
For public health, this issue is essential for several reasons. Firstly, the system is experiencing a staff shortage, and the value of each employee is critical in many ways, as the health and lives of people are at stake (Gibson & Greene, 2020). Second, the situation worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the pressure on health systems increased significantly, and consequently, the consequences of this problem increased significantly (McGarry et al., 2020). Moreover, this issue has been a mandatory practice in many supranational organizations (Melnyk et al., 2021). This paper summarizes the main directions of the proposed solutions at various levels, ranging from national to individual.
Position Statement Summary
The proposed solution is to provide nurses with various techniques and programs to prevent burnout. Among them are the stages of personnel control and monitoring systems, interventions, and preventive techniques that can be applied independently. A relatively broad diversification of methods meets the need for an integrated approach to the health of specialists, encompassing both physical and mental aspects.
Stakeholders
Three stakeholders are involved in this proposed solution: patients, nurses who require care, and professionals who deliver care through programs. Patients may receive better care if nurses do not suffer from workplace burnout, but in this situation, they cannot influence the outcome of programs and are therefore secondary (Melnyk et al., 2021). Nurses who need mental health prevention are interested in longer, more successful careers that do not have to be jeopardized because of their health. Finally, caregivers often share common ground with nurses, as they may be in a similar situation. Consequently, this decision is crucial for gaining experience in combating such ailments.
Analysis of Programs
HEAR
Following a series of tragic incidents, this problem has garnered the necessary attention, and various programs aimed at systemic solutions can now mitigate risks. Screening and referral to mental health services are carried out by the HEAR program, which is based on ongoing monitoring of the status of critical personnel (Norcross et al., 2018). The effectiveness of this approach has both short-term and long-term results: studies confirm a positive effect for up to three years (Davidson, 2020). The program’s uniqueness enables the monitoring of nurses’ conditions on a permanent and anonymous basis, with minimal side effects and ethical contradictions, resulting in a positive outcome. In addition, the organization’s ever-growing experience enables a more accurate and timely identification of the negative and non-obvious consequences of burnout, providing new ground for scientific research.
MINDBODYSTRONG
Another program available to most nurses is MINDBODYSTRONG. It involves interventions in behavior strategies through half-hour weekly sessions (Sampson et al., 2020). Studies show that essential indicators, such as job satisfaction and good habits, improve at a six-month distance, which is antithetical to the burnout process (Sampson et al., 2020).
A comprehensive approach to health yields benefits because addressing the consequences of burnout with a single intervention tool is challenging. MINDBODYSTRONG diversifies care into physical and mental health, contributing to the prevention of any illness that can itself trigger depression or other burnout ailments (Sampson et al., 2020). Unlike HEAR, it offers a system for monitoring employees and specific instructions for intervention.
Other Interventions
In addition to the programs listed, various targeted interventions or techniques are constantly offered. These include yoga, team courses, communication skills development, workplace change, wellness, resistance, cognitive struggle training, and meditation (De Oliveira et al., 2019). Each contributes varying degrees to improving certain psychological aspects in the fight against burnout.
Yoga and meditation bring moments of calmness into the lives of nurses, offering an opportunity to escape from severe problems and restore their energy. Effective communication skills are more likely to encourage nurses to communicate with psychologists and speak out (De Oliveira et al., 2019). Finally, the training focuses on scientific theories and proven interventions, utilizing cognitive or psychological tools to combat the issue.
Advantages of the Interventions Proposed
The strengths of the proposed solution lie in its broad diversification of methods, allowing for the differentiation or integration of various tools based on the results. Moreover, the programs provide control and monitoring systems that enable tracking of progress or any adverse changes. Ethical dilemmas concern privacy and the balance between necessity and the aggressive enforcement of software. A practical solution lies in the anonymity of control systems and voluntary participation in programs, where the need for and further steps are taken only in cases of acute disease manifestation that could harm patient or staff safety.
Disadvantages of the Programs Described
The disadvantages of the solution include its complexity and the long-term implementation required at the national level, presented in a complex form. Given the staff shortage, this issue requires the involvement of specialists who will conduct control systems and training, such as those provided by MINDBODYSTRONG. On the one hand, this measure significantly mitigates the adverse effects of burnout.
On the other hand, it only exacerbates the shortage of personnel. It is possible to expand the application in an even more in-depth way to combat burnout; for example, at the stage of medical education, such courses could be introduced into the mandatory program. At the same time, the programs themselves must consider the interested parties, specifically the specialists who act as employees of these programs. They also have to be subjected to their health control systems, not to achieve the same effect they are struggling with.
In addition to the dangers for program employees, potential unexpected negative consequences create mutual stressful situations in especially critical cases. For example, a nurse at the burnout stage may receive help from the program under certain conditions, but as a result, she cannot follow the instructions and breaks down when consulting the provided specialist. Suppose the assistant lacks experience working with aggressive patients or fails to redirect the employee to a psychiatrist promptly. In that case, such a stressful situation can exacerbate the situation for the nurses who applied and the specialists who support them.
Prevention of Unwated Outcomes
It is possible to stop such consequences with more complete control systems and the involvement of exclusively psychologically stable specialists. Another possible solution could be structural changes, primarily affecting nurses at the educational stage. Emergency preparedness can be nurtured in advance rather than as a reactive measure to deal with symptoms. If specialists are involved in preventive activities early in their careers, they can develop a healthy habit.
In addition, nurses do not experience burnout before taking office, contributing to a more favorable and adequate response to such proposals (Velando-Soriano et al., 2020). Social support can be introduced as an intervention practice, as it does not require degrees and qualifications from the interlocutor, but rather helps prevent burnout among nurses (Velando-Soriano et al., 2020). The most crucial aspect in this case is to maintain an integrated approach, focusing on both mental and physical health.
Conclusion
The DNP nurse must always consider the potential risk of burnout when leading a team of specialists. Nurse leaders can select and implement the most effective burnout prevention methods presented above. The critical task is to lobby their application to their staff and the authorities, which can allocate resources to initiate or attract such programs.
Strengthening the position is possible due to the obtained subjective experience, which can give large volumes of non-obvious patterns for further scientific research. Implementing programs is linked to the DNP’s organizational and systemic leadership qualities, which promote the evidence-based practice to improve the clinical environment and performance of nurses. Moreover, competencies in this matter will always remain relevant, but at the same time, require ongoing updates on their part. DNP develops its professional and leadership skills simultaneously by practicing and monitoring the results of the programs it introduces.
References
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De Oliveira, S. M., de Alcantara Sousa, L. V., Gadelha, M. D. S. V., & do Nascimento, V. B. (2019). Prevention actions of burnout syndrome in nurses: an integrating literature review. Clinical Practice and Epidemiology in Mental Health: CP & EMH, 15, 64.
Gibson, D. M., & Greene, J. (2020). State actions and shortages of personal protective equipment and staff in US nursing homes. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 68(12), 2721-2726.
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Melnyk, B. M., Hsieh, A. P., Davidson, J., Holly Carpenter, B. S. N., Amanda Choflet, D. N. P., Heath, J.,… & Stand, L. (2021). Promoting nurse mental health. American Nurse Journal, 16(1), 20-22.
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Nursing World. (n.d.). American Nurses Association.
Sampson, M., Melnyk, B. M., & Hoying, J. (2020). The MINDBODYSTRONG intervention for new nurse residents: 6‐Month effects on mental health outcomes, healthy lifestyle behaviors, and job satisfaction. Worldviews on Evidence‐Based Nursing, 17(1), 16-23.
Velando‐Soriano, A., Ortega‐Campos, E., Gómez‐Urquiza, J. L., Ramírez‐Baena, L., De La Fuente, E. I., & Cañadas‐De La Fuente, G. A. (2020). Impact of social support in preventing burnout syndrome in nurses: A systematic review. Japan Journal of Nursing Science, 17(1), e12269.