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24-WD-SPEC-433-Combat Burnout in Nursing Blog - 03.-V1-MD (1)

Innovative Staff Development Solutions to Combat Burnout in Nursing Teams

October 11th, 2024
October 11th, 2024

Healthcare leaders struggle to develop ways to lessen nurse burnout. Effective leadership strategies, such as staff training, well-being programs, and building resiliency, help mitigate work-related physical and emotional exhaustion. This mindset is essential for robust nurse retention.

Proactive nurse leaders who aim to boost employee job satisfaction and retention have found that innovative staff development solutions are vital to keeping their nurses happy and working.

Current State of Nurse Burnout

Long work hours, limited or inexperienced nurses, and continued stress at work are a recipe for burnout. Jobs that are draining day after day can lead to physical and emotional exhaustion, one of the primary causes of nurse burnout.

Tired nurses can attest that burnout has caused decreased mental acuity, which results in unsound decision-making, putting themselves, patients, and other staff at risk.

Nurse burnout is a problem that is not going away. According to a 2022 survey by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), the rate of nurses who experience feelings of burnout has climbed to 45%.

Addressing Nurse Burnout and Patient Safety

Ongoing staffing shortages, a lack of support, and feeling underprepared can cause nurses to question their career choices. They may think that changing jobs or leaving the workforce is the best solution to maintain their well-being.

By recognizing the factors leading to burnout and implementing effective professional development that addresses contributing issues, clever nurse leaders can curtail the negative impact of burnout and the exodus of nursing staff.

In the past, nurses were frequently subject to dull and repetitive one-size-fits-all training. However, using new state-of-the-art technology and artificial intelligence (AI), nurse leaders can individualize training to address their teams' unique needs and specific competencies.

Furthermore, studies show that nurse training that includes technology integration and social support can increase confidence in nursing practice.

HealthStream’s Jane AI offers an innovative staff development solution that assesses individuals based on their current level of expertise and develops a motivating training plan to improve competency. This feature benefits preceptors by determining the strengths and weaknesses of a new nurse so they know what to focus on during their nurse’s training. Leaders can utilize Jane AI to identify competency gaps and tailor stimulating healthcare training to bridge that disparity.

Using Staff Development to Prevent Burnout

Many healthcare administrations contemplate ideas to retain experienced employees and reduce nurse burnout and turnover. Timely, effective, and relevant nurse training will keep employees engaged, confident, and proficient in their nursing skills. Nurses who can competently care for their patients are less likely to feel inadequate, mitigating this common cause of stress.

Nurses who seek a positive work culture require techniques to promote healthy mental and physical well-being and positive work relationships. Interventions that incorporate these factors reduce burnout and enhance nurse retention.

Unique Staff Development Exercises

Most nurses are tired of the same old competency training that is usually identical to the prior year. If offerings include a mix of innovative, applicable, and non-repetitive education and well-being programs, nurse leaders may be pleased to find staff engaging with enthusiasm.

Jane AI offers various videos and interactive patient scenarios for staff development in nursing. This type of learning, which includes AI-based chats for employee input, questions, and feedback, makes education immersive and fresh. Topics vary from broad, like RN pharmacology, to unit-specific education, such as cardiac rhythm assessment and fetal monitoring training.

Well-being programs that consider nurses' concerns and aim to improve employee relations are another critical aspect of overall nurse retention. Allowing staff to have a voice in problems and solutions is critical to job satisfaction. Jane AI can analyze nurse feedback and assessments, identify gaps, and solve the team’s individualized needs.

Action Plans for Leadership Teams

Employee compliance is vital for success when executing new types of education.

As with any effective action plan, the first step is to collect and analyze your nurses’ concerns.

Jane AI is the perfect partner for nurse leaders when initiating an action plan. Jane’s thorough analysis will identify gaps and areas of need within your team and provide a plan to meet them. This platform includes important elements for success, such as ample nurse support, ideas that supplement well-being programs, and team building.

Jane AI enables staff development by prompting individuals throughout the course and tracking progress. It evaluates responses and provides nurse educators and leaders with a custom action plan analysis for each learner.

Ongoing Plans for Healthcare Leadership

Great solutions can be derailed if products or ideas are launched without regard to their actual implementation. Nurse feedback is vital throughout the changes to keep moving toward reducing nurse burnout. Nurses are on the frontline, and their feedback will help drive better solutions for the future.

By utilizing Jane AI, healthcare leaders can finally feel that their nurses will have a voice. When nurses feel more competent and supported, the culture improves. HealthStream is future-focused and committed to positively changing current nursing issues and trends.

 

References
Alshammari, M. H., & Alenezi, A. (2023). Nursing workforce competencies and job satisfaction: The role of technology integration, self-efficacy, social support, and prior experience.
BMC Nursing, 22(308). https://bmcnurs.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12912-023-01474-8
Holden, L. A. (2023, February 24). The seven steps of action planning. Penn State Extension. https://extension.psu.edu/the-seven-steps-of-action-planning
HRSA Health Workforce. (2024, May). State of the U.S. Healthcare Workforce, 2023. https://bhw.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/bureau-health-workforce/data-research/state-of-the-health-workforce-report-2023.pdf
Mayo Clinic Press. (2023, April 6). Breaking down burnout in the workplace. https://mcpress.mayoclinic.org/mental-health/breaking-down-burnout-in-the-workplace/#:~:text=According%20to%20%E2%80%9CMayo%20Clinic
Zhang, X., Song, Y, Jiang, T, Ding, N, & Shi, T. (2020). Interventions to reduce burnout of physicians and nurses. Medicine (Baltimore), 99(26), e20992. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7328917/
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