Executive Summary: Staff Education Project
Staff Education to ] Comment by Melanie Braswell: Must complete
by
[your official name]
MS, [university], 20XX
BS, [university], 20XX
Executive Summary Submitted in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree of
Doctor of Nursing Practice
Walden University
[last month of term you graduate] 20XX
Summary
This doctoral project was a practice-based staff education project aimed at educating nurses concerning early burnout recognition. The educational intervention was chosen to promote the awareness and knowledge related to the concept of burnout and self-care among nurses employed in a long-term care facility. The practice problem addressed was the high prevalence of nurse burnout and the limited ability of nurses to recognize early signs of burnout. The problem is significant in nursing practice as burnout is detrimental to the clinical judgment, patient safety, job satisfaction and staff retention. The guiding question of the project was:
Does a staff education program on early recognition of staff burnout in nurses working in long term care increase their knowledge?
The purpose of the project was meant to develop, implement, and evaluate an evidence based educational intervention to raise awareness of concepts of burnout, early warning signs, and self-care strategies.
Analytical strategies involved the use of pretest and posttest to address the change in knowledge after the educational intervention. The analysis of differences between pre intervention and post intervention scores was performed by a paired sample test t test. The results revealed the knowledge of nurses improved after the educational program increased from a mean score of 10 to a mean score of 15. Every participant had an increase in score from pretest to posttest. A planned burnout education module was the noteworthy outcome. Conclusions supported the staff education as the viable approach to the problem of burnout awareness. The project has implications to nursing practice as it promotes well-being, positive social change, and diversity, equity, and inclusion with culturally responsive burnout education.
Background
Nurse burnout has become a key professional issue of serious occupational consequences on the personal well-being, patient safety, and organizational stability. According to the World Health Organization, burnout is a professional condition brought about by long-term stress in the workplace which has failed to be effectively handled (Khatatbeh et al., 2021). In nursing practice, burnout is commonly conceptualized as a syndrome involving emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and diminished personal accomplishment. Comment by Braswell, Melanie: Missing from reference list
Long term care settings pose exceptional challenges that increase the risks of burnout. The nurses working in these facilities tend to work in large ratios of nurses to patients, attend to chronically and progressively ill residents, and deliver end of life services to residents on a lasting basis. Poor outcomes may exacerbate grief and moral distress because of emotional attachments to residents and families (Haritos et al., 2025). The second factor that increases stress levels is limited resources, time constraints, and limited organizational support.
A critical gap in practice exists to the nurses’ ability to recognize early signs of burnout in themselves and their colleagues. This project was aimed at filling this gap by introducing an evidence based educational intervention targeted at recognizing burnout in nurses working in long term care at an earlier stage. The project’s purpose was to determine whether a structured staff education program would increase nurses’ knowledge of burnout concepts, symptoms, risk factors, and early recognition strategies. The project question guiding this initiative was: Does a staff education program on early recognition of staff burnout in nurses working in long term care increase their knowledge? Comment by Melanie Braswell: Missing evidence search
Appendix h
The evidence behind the necessity of the change in practice given was strong. Studies showed the prevalence of burnout among nurses, and the effectiveness of educational and organizational interventions was successful. Nurses are also affected by burnout due to excessive workloads, non-administrative support, emotional pressure, and inadequate resources to cope. (Khatatbeh et al., 2021)
Education is one of the key elements in prevention and controlling burnout. (Lee & Cha, 2023). Quasi-experimental designs at a psychiatric hospital demonstrated the reduction of depersonalization scores by introducing mindfulness-based stress reduction. (Othman et al., 2023). The results indicated the importance of active interventions to equip nurses with knowledge on how to identify burnout in the initial stages and seek the required help.
Staff Education Project Development
This staff education initiative was developed and implemented based on the analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation (ADDIE) instructional design model. The project targeted nurses employed in a long term care system and routinely exposed to the occupational stressors linked to burnout. A total of 15 direct care nurses volunteered to participate in the educational intervention. The criteria used were active employment in the facility and available on the scheduled staff development sessions. Nonclinical staff and nurse leadership were not included, as it was necessary to keep the project focused on nurses who provide direct patient care. The design and development process focused on the development of an education intervention based on the existing evidence and adult learning theory. Two content experts, a clinical nurse educator and a health services administrator, were consulted during the development of learning objectives to make them clear, relevant, and consistent with the needs of the practice. Goals were aimed at improving the understanding of the concept of burnout, awareness of early warning signs, and application of self-care and resilience interventions in clinical practice.
The educational content addressed definitions and elements of burnout, general causes, early warning signs, emotional coping, mindfulness, cognitive re-framing, healthy boundaries and creation of personalized self-care plans. The teaching and learning proceeded using the principles of adult learning. The principle ensured the learning was interactive, problem centered and relevant to real world clinical situations.
The peer review of the two content experts was conducted to make sure the educational materials were accurate and relevant. Each of the two reviewers provided structured feedback on the content clarity, clinical applicability, and conformity to best practices. The feedback confirmed the usefulness of the program to raise awareness of resilience and well-being. Suggestions were made on how to increase the engagement by defining and providing practical examples. Proposed changes were put in before they were implemented.
Data collection focused on measurement of knowledge related to burnout recognition and self-care strategies. A pretest (Appendix A) was administered immediately before the PowerPoint (Appendix B) educational session to develop baseline knowledge. One week following the session, a posttest with identical assessment tool was conducted to determine the change in knowledge. A handout was created and provided to the participants (Appendix C). To ensure they were paired in the analysis and the participants remained confidential, data were collected anonymously via unique identifiers provided by each participant. None of the identifying information was noted and the information was kept in a safe place.
The choice of data analysis procedures was related to the project design and analysis objectives. The statistical analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel to prepare quantitative data. A paired sample comparison method was planned to examine differences between pretest and posttest scores. The approach enables assessment of the change across time among the same participants. The total score distributions were summarized using descriptive statistics to aid in the understanding of the results.
The assessment phase was aimed at evaluating the efficiency and viability of educational intervention. The evaluation measures were formulated to ascertain whether the implementation of the intervention was as intended and whether it was sufficient to address the identified practice gap. The assessment system focused on the process evaluation, method of knowledge assessment, and involvement of the participants.
Quantitative evaluation methodologies entail guided contrasting pre intervention and post intervention knowledge tests. The pretests and post tests were carefully reviewed to ensure the content would be clear and relevant to the learning objectives. The time of administering the educational sessions was also chosen so as not to interfere with the clinical workflow but provide enough time to integrate the knowledge. The predetermined data analysis procedures were aimed at consistency and methodological rigor. A paired sample t test was performed using the results from the pretest and comparing these with the results from the posttest.
An evaluation was also done on feasibility and sustainability. Delivering the material during the designated staff development time boosted participation while minimizing the impact on patient care. The cooperation with nursing leadership and nurse educator created credibility and positive learning atmosphere. The evaluation process would inform upcoming educational programs aimed at helping nurses to develop well-being and burnout prevention strategies.
Results
Post implementation results showed nursing staff knowledge improved after their participation in the staff education program on recognizing burnout at the initial phases. Fifteen nurses completed the pretest and the posttest assessments. The assessment instrument was made up of 10 knowledge-based questions and had a maximum score of 20 points (See Appendix A). The increase in scores indicated an increase in knowledge regarding the concepts of burnout, early warning signs, and self-care strategies.
The level of baseline knowledge was measured regarding the knowledge of burnout among the participants. The individual pretest scores resulted in variation in familiarity with the approach to the definition of burnout and prevention before the study. Posttest scores resulted in an increase among the respondents after the educational intervention was completed. The posttest scores confirmed a better acquisition of knowledge at the end of the training.
The average pretest score among the participants was 10. The average posttests score was 15. (Table 1) This rise in scores indicates a significant process of overall increased knowledge after the learning event. It was noted there were improvements in various assessment items which indicated increase in the knowledge of the definition of burnout, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, low personal accomplishment and the significance of self-care and organizational support.
Scores associated with the recognition of emotional fatigue, burnout towards the patients, and diminished work interest were improved from pretests to posttest. Increased scores were also associated with items related to practical measures to use in emotional regulation, resilience building, and boundary setting. These results displayed the educational program was effective in meeting the established learning objectives as well as the practice gap about burnout recognition.
Table 1
Pretest and Posttest Burnout Knowledge Scores Among Nursing Staff
|
Participant |
Pretest Score |
Posttest Score |
Change |
|
1 |
8 |
14 |
+ 6 |
|
2 |
9 |
15 |
+ 9 |
|
3 |
10 |
15 |
+ 5 |
|
4 |
11 |
16 |
+ 5 |
|
5 |
10 |
15 |
+ 5 |
|
6 |
12 |
17 |
+ 5 |
|
7 |
9 |
14 |
+ 5 |
|
8 |
10 |
15 |
+ 5 |
|
9 |
11 |
16 |
+ 5 |
|
10 |
8 |
13 |
+ 5 |
|
11 |
10 |
15 |
+ 5 |
|
12 |
12 |
18 |
+ 6 |
|
13 |
9 |
14 |
+ 5 |
|
14 |
11 |
16 |
+ 5 |
|
15 |
10 |
15 |
+ 5 |
|
Mean |
10 |
15 |
+ 5 |
A paired sample t test was used to compare pretest and posttest results in order to ascertain whether the observed rise in scores reflected a statistically significant change. This statistical method was chosen to assess how the same participants’ knowledge changed after the intervention.(Table 2)
Table 2
Paired Sample T Test Results Comparing Pretest and Posttest Burnout Knowledge Scores
|
Mean Difference |
Standard Deviation |
t |
Degrees of Freedom |
Significance Two Tailed |
|
5.0 |
2.6 |
6.21 |
14 |
0.001 |
The pretest and posttest scores differed statistically significantly, according to the analysis. The findings showed involvement in the staff education program was linked to a significant increase in understanding of self-care techniques and burnout recognition
(Figure 1)
Figure 1
.
The results of this project positively affected the organization by increasing the level of awareness about burnout as one of the most severe occupational problems. Within the organizational context, better-informed knowledge about burnout helps to create a healthier working environment. Healthier work environment also aligns with the objectives associated with staff retention, quality of care, and patient safety. Despite the absence of long-term organizational outcomes, the education program has provided a platform to the future well-being initiatives and staff support strategies. The project indicated burnout education can be effectively incorporated into the current staff development frameworks.
The sample size of 15 used is limited and cannot be generalized to other settings or the nursing population (Althubaiti, 2022). The results can be affected by personal differences and might not be applicable to more diverse populations. Interval of time between the intervention and the posttest evaluation was another weakness. These results of the current project are significant beyond the local site because they demonstrate a brief, structured educational intervention can produce measurable improvements in nurse knowledge using minimal resources.
The educational system and evaluation system are applicable to diverse clinical environments. This project contributed to the wider implementation of burnout education as one of the key elements of professional development by proving statistically significant improvement in knowledge to be gained after a brief training session. Dissemination of these findings can inform the policies in organizations, promote the workforce well being programs, and lead to sustainable nursing practice in healthcare systems.
Conclusions
The project reported a beneficial influence on the organization through enhancing the knowledge of nursing staff associated with early burnout identification and self-care interventions. Enhancing burnout awareness helps healthy working environment through promoting early detection of symptoms characteristic of stress and participation in self-care and peer support. Organizationally wise, this initiative will cover objectives associated with staff well-being, retention, and quality of patient care. Another finding of the project was specific training on burnout is possible and can be incorporated into the everyday work of the staff without causing havoc in the clinical process.
Additional suggestions involve the enlargement of the educational program to aspects such as follow up programs which can help strengthen the learning process and help maintain the knowledge over the long run. Periodic refresher training, support groups of peers, and involvement of leaders could be added to increase wellness sustainability and promote a wellness culture. Another assessment to be made in future projects is how burnout education affects behavioral results in the form of absenteeism, job satisfaction, and staff turnover.
The clinical implication of the findings is also high because more knowledge will enable nurses to learn how to identify burnout at the early stages and pursue prompt assistance. Being a proponent of awareness leads to positive social change by facilitating normalization of mental health discussions at the workplace and reducing stigma. By focusing on diversity, equity and inclusion, the burnout interventions must be culturally sensitive and accessible among all staff. The well-being of nurses will ultimately be effective at supporting equitable care delivery and creating more inclusive healthcare environments that are healthier.
Althubaiti, A. (2022). Sample size determination: A practical guide for health researchers.
Journal of General and Family Medicine,
24(2), 72–78.
Haritos, A. M., Long, B.-Z. S., Bani-Fatemi, A., Howe, A., Li, Y., & Nowrouzi-Kia, B. (2025). Burnout and its subsequent impact on quality of care provided by nursing occupations in the long-term care sector: a scoping review protocol.
BMJ Public Health,
3(2), e003011.
Khatatbeh, H., Pakai, A., Al‐Dwaikat, T., Onchonga, D., Amer, F., Prémusz, V., & Oláh, A. (2021). Nurses’ burnout and quality of life: A systematic review and critical analysis of measures used.
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9(3), 1564–1574.
Lee, M., & Cha, C. (2023). Interventions to reduce burnout among clinical nurses: Systematic review and meta-analysis.
Scientific Reports,
13(1), 1–12.
Othman, S. Y., Hassan, N. I., & Mohamed, A. M. (2023). Effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions on burnout and self-compassion among critical care nurses caring for patients with COVID-19: a quasi-experimental study.
BMC Nursing,
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Squellati, R., & Zangaro, G. A. (2022). Eight ways nurses can manage a burnt-out leader.
Nursing Clinics,
57(1), 67–78. Comment by Melanie Braswell: Not in the paper
Participants Pretest/Posttest Scores
Participant Pretest Score 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 8 9 10 11 10 12 9 10 11 8 10 12 9 11 10 Participant Postest Score 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 14 15 15 16 15 17 14 15 16 13 15 18 14 16 15 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
