Graduation Year
2023
Document Type
Senior Thesis
Degree
Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Primary Major
Nursing
Thesis Advisor
Patricia Harris, PhD, RN, CNS
Abstract
Nursing burnout is a crucial problem that needs to be addressed due to the effect it’s having on nurses, such as causing many nurses to leave their jobs. Some of the major causes of nursing burnout include the effects of the work environment, emotional strain, and lack of sleep. Several nurses have stated that some environmental factors related to work that is causing nursing burnout include a high nurse-to-patient ratio, long shifts, and stressful specialties. Lack of support and emotional stress from patient care have contributed to burnout. Lastly, poor health habits, such as lack of sleep, also influence burnout progression. There are three types of interventions that focus on targeting these causes. Changes to the workplace environment can help prevent compassion fatigue for nurses. Yoga that incorporates mindfulness is vital in decreasing stress, which would ultimately also decrease burnout. Lastly, burnout can be fought by increasing resilience through various self-care strategies and healthy habits, such as sleep and guided imagery. This thesis, including a literature review and a proposal for further research, will investigate the main sources of burnout in nursing hospitals and incorporate a few ways that could be done to avoid getting it. It’s an important topic to be addressed because it could lead to a shortage of nurses and lower the quality of patient care.