Research: Nurse well-being, administration, and COVID-19

[ck12, BSN, RN]

Hello, my name is Casey and I am a DNP-FNP student at the University of Arkansas.  The COVID-19 pandemic has touched the lives of all nurses, whether working directly with COVID-19 patients or not.  Nurses are considered one of the scarcest resources during this pandemic and protecting their well-being is paramount! 

I am conducting a survey on the impact of administrative support on RN well-being during COVID-19.  The purpose of this research is to determine the effect of administrative support on RN well-being during COVID-19 to improve workplace conditions for RNs working during a pandemic.  There are many recommendations for healthcare leaders during this time, but the implementation and effect of those behaviors are unknown. 

Your participation would include completion of a survey on your demographic information, burnout, well-being, and administrative caring behaviors.  The participant’s information will be kept anonymous and results will only be shared in an aggregate form.  Participation is voluntary.  Refusing to participate will not adversely affect any other relationship with the University or the researchers. 

Will you participate by completing this survey?

https://uark.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9nmMTdHnPOeiy0t

Contact Information:

Principle Investigator:

Casey Fox

University of Arkansas Eleanor Mann School of Nursing

606 N.  Razorback Rd.

1-479-575-3904

[email protected]

Co-Investigator/Faculty Chair:

Kelly Young, DNP

University of Arkansas Eleanor Mann School of Nursing

606 N.  Razorback Rd.

1-479-575-3904

[email protected]

 

[ck12, BSN, RN]

Thank you everyone who participated and showed interest in this survey.  Here are some interesting results from the survey:

Only 55% of nurses felt safe at work, and 62% well-informed. 69% of respondents felt emotional exhaustion and 75% reported physical exhaustion often or always. Female, inexperienced, younger nurses, and nurses working in critical care or emergency departments had higher levels of burnout; however, pediatric nurses reported the highest levels of burnout.  Additionally, nurses with greater than 10 years of experience reported feeling the lowest levels of administrative support overall.

Based on the results of this survey, communication should be made clear, and nurses’ safety should be prioritized in the inpatient setting.  Administrative support should target efforts on experienced nurses.  Pediatric nurses reported the highest levels of burnout but not the lowest level of administrative support among specialties.  Therefore, it is likely that there are numerous factors related to burnout.

In general, nurses reported high levels of burnout, but not low quality of life.  This demonstrates that nurses are feeling burnout but are still managing to cope in their personal lives.  Designing healthy and safe work environments, aimed to reduce burnout, is essential to maintain sustainable nursing practice even amid a pandemic.