Case Study: Preventing Burnout In Newly Burnted Nurse

Team Name & Number: JABEER-J, Team 6

Topic: Preventing burnout in newly graduated nurses

Issue: Burnout is prevalent among newly graduated nurses, affecting 1 of 5 nurses in the first three years of their career (Rudman & Gustavsson, 2011, p.293). Our goal is to prevent burnout among newly graduated nurses by minimizing the psychological distress they experience in their first few years as a nurse.

Background:
A current study shows that 66% of new graduate nurses experience severe burnout due to poor workplace environment (Laschinger & Fida, 2014, p. 20). Rudman and Gustavsson (2011) reported that newly graduated nurses have 50% chance of developing high levels of severe burnout during their second year post graduation (p. 292). According

Workload Nurses often experience heavy workloads and time constraints in the workplace due to nursing shortages and a high nurse-to-patient ratio mandated by the government. Newly graduated nurses are especially prone to burnout related to greater workloads due to the increasing workload demands and no additional resources to support the nurse (Rudman & Gustavsson, 2011, p.304). This contributes to increased burnout rates in newly graduated nurses by creating role stress and adding additional time constraints and stressors to an already overwhelmed transitioning graduate nurse.
2. Ethical Distress
When a nurse 's values conflict with the values of the organization, ethical distress can occur. Lashinger (2009) describes this event as “a lack of fit between new graduates ' personal standards for professional practice and those in their work settings” (para.3). Research has shown that unresolved ethical distress and moral dilemmas related to the workplace can ultimately lead to burnout and resignation from the nursing profession (Ethics in Practice for Registered Nurses, 2003, p.2). Newly graduated nurses are at greater risk for this type of burnout due to the specific challenges they face when transitioning from a nursing student to a practicing nurse. According to Rudman and Gustavsson (2011), novice professionals entering the nursing workforce may experience a reality shock, in which the novices’ values are not reflected by the values of their work reality

Health Leaders Media lists seven strategies to reduce nurse burnout, including “stress reduction classes, create a space for relaxation, mentor and buddy programs, recognition and reward, manager involvement, training and education and counseling” (Hendren, 2010, para.8). Individual hospitals have taken actions to help combat burnout among nursing staff. At the St. Boniface Hospital in Manitoba, there is a research project being conducted called the Compassion Project, which includes “compassion and mindfulness meditation training and how it can affect brain anatomy and physiology, personal well-being, employee engagement and reduced burnout” (Miller et al, 2016,