More recently than ever, healthcare workers may be faced with the potential for burnout and a decreased quality of life. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality defines burnout as “a long-term stress reaction marked by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a lack of sense of personal accomplishment”. From the busy work days, to the intense pace and time sensitive pressures, the healthcare environment places individuals at a high risk. All of this has the potential to impact the delivery of high-quality, compassionate care within an institution. The risk for staff to develop burnout may increase as changes to the work environment result in a poor fit for healthcare workers. :

• Technological advances
• Compliance with regulatory measures
• Difficult electronic medical records (EMRs)
• Issues with insurance coverage and reimbursement
• Increased volume and patient acuity

In order to help decrease the risk of burnout, a quality improvement project was put into place in a 37-bed ICU between February and June 2019. Registered nurses, medical assistants, and physician assistants were the targeted population. The Mini-Z Burnout survey was given to those participating in the study to assess for factors contributing to burnout, as well as job related stress and job satisfaction. After completing the survey, interventions were put into place in order to address such risks. These interventions included:

• Identifying scheduling opportunities (e.g. stacking days when possible)
• Determining special needs for patients while in the ICU setting
• Identifying staff backup based on acuity of assignments
• Staff events to foster a positive team culture and increase collaboration

After three months of applying the above interventions, the Mini-Z Burnout survey was administered again. The findings revealed a higher percentage of staff reporting no burnout after the intervention (57.7% vs. 75%). Additionally, “satisfaction with current job” went from 70.6% pre-intervention to 82.8% post intervention. Finally, open ended questions revealed that stressors that still remained focused heavily on staffing and patient ratios. The sustainability and long-term impact of these interventions on preventing burnout continue to be monitored.

Overall, implementing quality improvement initiatives in order to promote staff wellbeing has the potential to impact the delivery of high quality and compassionate care. The Michigan Value Collaborative (MVC) is committed to helping our collaborative members implement quality improvement projects in order to increase patient and provider satisfaction. If you have any questions or wish to learn more, please reach out to the collaborative at michiganvaluecollaborative@gmail.com