Graduation Year
2021
Document Type
Senior Thesis
Degree
Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Primary Major
Nursing
Thesis Advisor
Patricia Harris, PhD, RN, CNS
Abstract
The healthcare workplace has been challenged with the SARS-CoV-2 corona virus (COVID-19) for majority of the year 2020 and it has posed a number of challenges for healthcare workers (HCWs). Due to the increased workload and demanding work hours, the prevalence of physician burnout has increased amongst this population. The escalation of burnout may lead to negative effects on physical and mental health. This poses a health concern amongst patients because the increase of burnout affects patient care, safety, and quality of care. Various surveys have been sent out to HCWs in order to determine if burnout has increased within this population and the relationship of the contributing factors and outcomes. From the research that has been compiled over the past few months, it has shown that the influx of COVID patients has greatly impacted stress levels within the work environment. Overall, the survey results have shown that HCWs need more accessible resources in order to help decrease their levels of burnout. These resources may alleviate stress levels and provide effective strategies for improving physical and mental health. Resources that have been mentioned includes a digital care package that contains useful information such as mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques. This thesis will include a literature review of research articles regarding the burnout due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as a proposal for further research on alleviating healthcare workers’ fatigue.