Using the CDC’s Healthcare Personnel and First Responders: How to Cope with Stress and Build Resilience During the COVID-19 Pandemic Education Resources to Reduce Burnout of Intensive Care Nurses at an Urban Acute Care Hospital

Abstract

Background: Nurse burnout is a serious problem, as documented by many studies. Burnout has been shown to lower quality of life, performance level, and organizational commitment while also increasing a nurses\u27 desire to leave the job. Despite this knowledge, nurse burnout continues to be present, especially among nurses who work in intensive care units (ICUs). Hospitals need ICU nurses to care for critically ill patients; therefore, it is essential to educate ICU nurses on burnout and initiate measures to decrease burnout in this vulnerable population. Purpose: The goals of this study are to explore nurse burnout in the medical intensive care unit (MICU) of an urban acute care hospital, implement educational teaching about burnout reduction using the CDC’s Healthcare Personnel and First Responders: How to Cope with Stress and Build Resilience during the COVID-19 Pandemic resource, and assess the effectiveness of the education after implementation. Methods: This quality improvement project consists of a didactic program offered to all permanent day and night shift nurses in the MICU of an urban acute care hospital. A Maslach Burnout Inventory Survey was given to all participants before and after the educational intervention to assess success of the intervention on the study population. Results: Key results included statistically significant improvement in emotional exhaustion (11.7%), depersonalization (11.7%), and personal accomplishment (8.3%) after implementing a burnout prevention educational program. Conclusion: This project helped to stress the importance of hospitals implementing a burnout prevention program and offering this education to nursing staff to improve their mental health and improve patient care and outcomes