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BACKGROUND: Mental health problems, including burnout among nurses, are common and important. With the rapid development of information and communication technologies and the rise in use of smartphones, the use of e-mental health strategies is increasing in public and clinical settings, and initial clinical trials using this intervention have been conducted. This systematic review evaluated whether e-healthcare interventions improve burnout and other mental health aspects in nurses. METHODS: Six electronic databases including MEDLINE (via PubMed), EMBASE (via Elsevier), the Cochrane Library Central Register of Controlled Trials, the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, the Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, and PsycARTICLES were searched to collect relevant randomized controlled trials up to January 28, 2021, using e-healthcare interventions for mental health in nurses. The e-healthcare intervention was classified as web-based, smartphone-based, and real-time online interventions. The primary outcome was burnout in this population. Due to the heterogeneity of the interventions used in the included studies, quantitative synthesis was not performed, but included studies were analyzed qualitatively. Also, the details of e-healthcare for the mental health of nurses were analyzed. The methodological quality of included studies was assessed using Cochrane's Risk of Bias tool. RESULTS: Seven randomized controlled trials were included in this study. The 20-minute session of an online form of the emotional freedom technique was reported to significantly improve burnout severity compared to no intervention (P < .001). Other outcomes, such as career identity, quality of work life, workplace bullying, job stress, turnover intention, distress, anxiety, and resilience in nurses, were also reported to be improved by e-healthcare interventions. The methodological quality of the included studies was generally poor. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, there was some evidence that e-healthcare interventions may improve mental health outcomes, including burnout in nurses, compared with no intervention. However, due to the poor methodological quality and wide heterogeneity of the interventions and outcomes in the included studies, we were not able to reach sufficiently reliable conclusions. E-healthcare intervention for nurses in the new coronavirus disease era was discussed. High-quality clinical trials in this area should be conducted in the future.

BACKGROUND: First responders are faced with stressful and traumatic events in their work that may affect their psychological health. The current review examined the effectiveness of psychological interventions to treat posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, stress and burnout in first responders. METHODS: Four databases were searched to identify controlled studies that examined the efficacy of psychological interventions to reduce PTSD symptoms (primary outcome) in first responders (including firefighters, police/law enforcement officers, search and rescue personnel, emergency and paramedics teams). Secondary outcomes were anxiety, depression, burnout, and stress. RESULTS: 15 studies were identified, including 10 studies that measured PTSD, 7 studies for anxiety, 10 studies for depression, 7 studies for stress and 1 for burnout. Interventions were associated with a significant reduction in PTSD (SDM = -0.86; 95% CI = -1.34 –- 0.39), depression (SDM = -0.63; 95% CI = -0.94 –-0.32), and anxiety (SDM = -0.38; 95% CI = -0.71 –-0.05) but not stress (SDM = -0.13; 95% CI = -0.51–0.25). CBT-based and clinician-delivered interventions were associated with significantly greater reductions in PTSD than other types of interventions and non-clinician interventions, but no differences were found for depression. There was evidence of moderate to high risk of bias across all studies. CONCLUSIONS: Psychological interventions are effective in reducing PTSD, depression and anxiety symptoms but not stress in first responders. Further research is needed using high quality randomised designs over longer periods of follow-up.

The COVID-19 pandemic has put extreme stress on the health care system globally, leading to workforce shortages as well as increased health care worker burnout, exhaustion, moral injury, and many forms of traumas. These pandemic-related difficulties have taken place in the context of overwhelming pre-existing workforce challenges and inconsistencies, as well as in a workforce where burnout, stress, and mental health problems were already at high occurrences. Many health care workers experienced being furloughed or having their hours reduced, particularly early in the pandemic when nations were trying to implement mitigation protocols. Total employment in the healthcare industry declined during the early months of the pandemic but has gradually recovered since summer 2020. Federal, state, and local governments took significant action to address the need for prevention and treatment services that arose from COVID-19. This led to the disruptions in health care delivery and finances as a result of the pandemic through supplemental funding from federal relief legislation and easing many regulatory requirements. Even after the pandemic, many of the effects the pandemic has had on the health care workforce will likely persist. This paper takes a closer look at the power of mattering, the effects of moral injury as related to healthcare workers and the tools needed to begin the healing process.

INTRODUCTION: Burnout rates for emergency medicine residents are high. One intervention and initiative to enhance wellness and address burnout is the resident retreat. Retreats have multiple formats and are often designed with an emphasis on social events. This longitudinal retreat curriculum for a three-year residency training program was designed emphasizing rest, a step away from what is familiar, and reflection. METHODS: Individual resident retreats were designed for each year of postgraduate training. The agenda for each is organized and intentional. Activities focused on personal well-being, self-reflection, team building, professional development, and physical activities are coupled with topics unique to class year roles and responsibilities. Retreats are held away from the hospital establishing a separation from the workplace. RESULTS: The retreat program has been sustainable for almost decades with trainees evaluating it highly. Faculty and residents enthusiastically participate in the program and consider it a fundamental part of the residency; 93.75% of residents surveyed strongly agreed that the retreats benefit their training while 94.2% strongly agreed that retreats increased their enthusiasm for training. CONCLUSIONS: An emergency medicine resident retreat program focusing on unique elements for each post-graduate year is achievable and sustainable in an emergency medicine residency program. Over time, the retreat has become an integral part of the residency experience with positive experiences for both faculty and trainees.

Nursing during a pandemic like COVID-19 is challenging, because of pervasive uncertainty, fear, lack of knowledge about the virus and its manifestations, and caring for complicated patients without adequate personal protective equipment and other needed resources. Many suffer from moral distress as a result of their inability to do what they think is right for their patients. Herein is a description of moral distress during COVID, what causes it, and what can be done to promote the mental, physical, and moral well-being of invaluable nurses.

As nurse leaders across the country contend with critical challenges, including the ongoing impact of COVID-19, tightening budgets, staff resignations, nurse burnout, and declining nurse engagement, some wonder whether the Magnet® framework is still relevant today. It has been nearly 40 years since the original Magnet research was published. How does it stand up in the wake of modern-day realities? Do the findings continue to hold true? This Magnet Perspectives column takes a closer look at the research that led to the program's creation, development of the Magnet Model, and the program's relevance in meeting the challenges of today's demanding healthcare environment. In addition, this month's JONA includes “The Business Case for Magnet® Designation: Using Data to Support Strategy” demonstrating the framework Magnet continues to provide cost savings and cost avoidance.

There is limited research regarding student registered nurse anesthetist (SRNA) burnout. To our knowledge there is no recently published work that has explored the associations between characteristics of SRNAs and burnout. Addressing this gap could establish the SRNA experience of burnout, identify demographic characteristics and situational factors that may correlate with burnout, and lay the foundation for future research. The purpose of this exploratory descriptive study was to assess the SRNA experience of burnout and any relationship between burnout to demographic or situational factors via the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory-S and demographic questions. The research questions were: 1) Do SRNAs experience different levels of burnout during the didactic curricula and/or clinical training element of nurse anesthesia school? 2) Is there an association between SRNA burnout and demographic or situational factors? Power analysis set the minimum n at 421. Five hundred thirty SRNAs responded to the randomized survey through the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology. Data analysis was conducted using one-way ANOVA, Spearman's rho, 2-tailed t-test, and Chi square analysis. More hours in class per week correlated with lower exhaustion scores. Higher disengagement scores were reported by SRNAs further in their training, while more hours per week in clinical correlated with both higher disengagement scores and increased total burnout scores.

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experience of frontline nurses working during the COVID-19 pandemic. The first author conducted two individual audiotaped interviews with 23 qualified staff nurses. All the authors analyzed the professionally transcribed data according to hermeneutic principles. The researchers identified five major themes: (a) we are family; (b) heroes work here; (c) fear of contagion; (d) mental health and well-being; and (e) new reality. Given the uncertainties of working during the COVID-19 pandemic, findings revealed the value of supportive collegial relationships and the need to support the mental health and well-being needs of frontline nurses during the pandemic. Nurses need supportive environments to help ease the challenges associated with serving on the frontline during times of crisis. Findings have implications for future public health preparedness and response efforts.

AIM: Explore the existing literature on the experience and needs of palliative nurses facing job burnout. BACKGROUND: On a global scale, with the increase of aging, the number of people in need of palliative care has increased significantly, which has a huge impact on the professional pressure of palliative nurses. Existing literature focuses on examining palliative care from the perspective of patients, but palliative nurses also face the threats to physical and mental health caused by job burnout. EVALUATION: A systematic literature search has been carried out in the following databases as of October 2021: PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, and Scopus. The Cochrane Library and Joanna Briggs Institute Library were also searched to confirm if there are any available systematic reviews on the subject. Manually searched the reference list of included papers. KEY ISSUES: Seventeen studies were included in this review. Five key issues in the palliative care nurse's experience: (1) psychological harm, (2) physical symptoms, (3) negative emotions, (4) Burnout caused by communication barriers, and (5) Lack of experience. Two key issues in the needs of palliative care nurses: (1) social support, and (2) training and education. CONCLUSION: The pressure of facing death for a long time and controlling the symptoms of patients has a very important impact on the mental and physical health of palliative nurses. Nursing staff have needed to be satisfied, and it is essential to provide support and help relieve the pressure on palliative nurses.

Due to the rapid spread of COVID-19, virtual education was proposed globally. This study aimed to examine the views and experiences of nursing students regarding quality, quantity, e-learning challenges, and solutions. This is a qualitative study using a purposive sampling method in which 42 nursing students were included. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured face-to-face or telephone interviews and analyzed using content analysis. Concepts that were raised in the experience of nursing students were: "Incompatibility of educational processes", including ineffective teaching methods, limited interaction, limited feedback, low creativity, and educational injustice. "Loss of opportunities" including lack of clinical competence, concern for job opportunities, and lack of time management. "Imposed burnout", including forced labor and personal protection. "Personal helplessness", including lack of access to electronic facilities, struggles with the coronavirus, unemployment, and family conflicts. The enforcement of e-learning imposed restrictions on students with different conditions. Older students, those living in rural areas, students with work and family responsibilities, and people with limited electronic resources experienced challenges that require educational management based on challenges. Because e-learning goes beyond COVID-19 and given the continuing trend in e-learning in the coming years, it is necessary to address these challenges.

PURPOSE: The Harvard Medical School Pathways curriculum represents a major reform effort. Our goals were to enhance reasoning and clinical skills and improve the learning environment and students’ approach to learning via use of collaborative, case-based pedagogy; early clinical exposure; and enhanced approaches to teaching and evaluating clinical skills. We evaluated the impact of Pathways on key outcomes related to these goals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this prospective, mixed-methods study, we compared the last prior-curriculum cohort (2014 matriculation, n = 135) and first new-curriculum cohort (2015 matriculation, n = 135). Measures included Likert-type surveys, focus groups, and test scores to assess outcomes. RESULTS: Compared with prior-curriculum students, new-curriculum students reported higher mean preclerkship learning environment ratings (Educational Climate Inventory, 62.4 versus 51.9, p < 0.0001) and greater satisfaction with the quality of their preclerkship education (88% versus 73%, p = 0.0007). Mean USMLE Step-1 and Step-2 scores did not differ between groups. At graduation, new-curriculum students rated their medical school experience higher in 6 of 7 domains, including ‘fostering a culture of curiosity and inquiry’ (4.3 versus 3.9, p = 0.006) and focus on ‘student-centered learning’ (3.9 versus 3.4, p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: The new curriculum outperformed or was equal to the prior one on most measures of learning environment and perceived quality of education, without a decline in medical knowledge or clinical skills. Robust longitudinal evaluation provided important feedback for ongoing curriculum improvement.

The intensive care unit (ICU) is an emotionally taxing environment. Patients and family members are at an increased risk of long-term physical and psychological consequences of critical illness, known collectively as post-intensive care syndrome (PICS). These environmental strains can lead to a high incidence of staff turnover and burnout.

BACKGROUND: Uncertainty is ubiquitous in medicine. Studies link intolerance of uncertainty to burnout, ineffective communication, cognitive bias, and inappropriate resource use. Little is known about how uncertainty manifests in the clinical learning environment. We aimed to explore the perceptions and experiences of uncertainty among residents and attendings. METHODS: We conducted a mixed-methods study including a survey, semi-structured interviews, and ethnographic observations during rounds with residents and attendings at an academic medical center. The survey included three validated instruments: Physicians’ Reaction to Uncertainty Scale; Maslach Burnout Inventory 2-item; and Educational Climate Inventory. RESULTS: 35/60 (58%) of eligible residents and 14/21 (67%) attendings completed the survey. Residents reported higher anxiety due to uncertainty than attendings, higher concern about bad outcomes, and greater reluctance to disclose uncertainty to patients. Residents reported increased symptoms of burnout (p < .05). Perceiving the learning environment as more competitive correlated with reluctance to disclose uncertainty (r ¼ À0.44; p < .01). Qualitative themes included: recognizing and facing uncertainty, and consequences for the learning environment. Observations revealed senior clinicians have greater comfort acknowledging uncertainty. CONCLUSIONS: Medical curricula should be developed to promote recognition and acknowledgement of uncertainty. Greater acknowledgement of uncertainty, specifically by attendings and senior residents, may positively impact the clinical learning environment.

This dissertation sought to ascertain whether or not Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training could lower burnout in correctional officers (CO) in a Southeastern state prison system. Using an experimental learning theory in a quantitative, quasi-experimental approach, the researcher administered the pre-test and post-test assessments using Maslach Burnout Inventory to CO before CIT and 4-weeks after they completed CIT. The researcher concluded that CIT lowered burnout on CO in all areas of the MBI but was statistically significantly lower for emotional exhaustion and depersonalization.

Physicians, Physician assistants (PAs), and trainees are at significantly increased risk for developing mental health disorders and burnout when compared to the general population. Mental health disorders and burnout can result in significant consequences, not only for the individual, but also for their patients, and the healthcare system. Mindfulness practices have been evaluated as a potential solution to mental health deterioration in this population and have shown promising results. Time commitment is a barrier to practice; however, mindfulness courses are being adapted to suit the demanding schedules of healthcare professionals and trainees, and out­ comes of these adaptions appear favorable. Research on PAs and PA trainees is extremely limited; however, PAs are trained using the medical model, and therefore data on physicians and medical trainees can likely be extrapolated to PAs and PA trainees (Johnson et al., 2020a). Although this article focuses on physicians and PAs it also may shed some light on experiences and the potential value of mindfulness for all health professionals.

OBJECTIVE: This evidence-based practice project assessed the impact of integrating mindfulness training into an existing nurse residency program. BACKGROUND: Stress and burnout are endemic in healthcare. The transition to practice is associated with stress and anxiety for newly graduated nurses. Evidence supports mindfulness-based interventions to mitigate stress and burnout and improve the workplace environment and patient outcomes. METHODS: This project employed a pre/post design to measure burnout, stress, and mindfulness, comparing means and standard deviations between intervention and comparison nurse residency cohorts. Mindfulness training was integrated at 4 points within the 1st 6 months of the residency program. RESULTS: The intervention cohort reported significantly less burnout and stress and more mindfulness at 6 months than the comparison group. CONCLUSIONS: Mindfulness training can be feasibly integrated into an existing nurse residency program to decrease stress and burnout for new graduate nurses during the transition to practice.

"Workplace stress is a psychological and physical mental disorder that occurs when existing resources cannot fulfill employees"" demands. The problem addressed by this study is the lack of well-disposed management approaches to workplace stress among healthcare workers, which in turn poses devastating impacts on the productivity of these professionals. This exploratory case study aims to understand the approaches management adopts to address workplace stress, reducing productivity impacts on healthcare professionals in public hospitals in the United States. The underlying conceptual framework for this research is founded on the perception that workplace stress (and related anxiety and depression) can be caused by a combination of demographic variables, and psychological and social factors. This research involved using qualitative methodology and an exploratory case study design using telephone interviews, face-to-face interviews, and emails. In relation to the two research questions detailed in this study, the findings revealed that some traits affecting workplace productivity among healthcare professionals include burnout, entry feelings, growth, productivity, teamwork, and team productivity. This study considered the implications of the findings of this research on account of extant literature, which involved a comprehensive discussion of the findings and making of substantiated conclusion in study findings. It was recommended that there is a need for more research to gain an in-depth understanding of the specific differences through the standardization of terminology. Such additional studies could use a different methodology from the one used in this research, including reliance on different sample sizes and even not completing the survey during a pandemic. The researcher could alter the research settings to help decipher how this might differ from or remain similar to the already established findings."

Psychiatric nurses’ work environment factors, including long hours, heavy workloads and leadership issues, can serve as barriers to achieving a healthy work-life balance. However, for both individuals and organizations, that balance is crucial as it is a key determinant of job satisfaction and leaving intentions. To address the limiting evidence to that topic, this study had two objectives: (1) to describe the work-life balance of nurses working in psychiatric inpatient settings; and (2) to examine those nurses’ work-life balance and its associations with individual (i.e., age, gender), psychosocial (i.e., leadership) and structural factors (i.e., employment percentage). To analyze these factors and their impacts, we conducted a cross-sectional study in a sample of 1209 nurses from 116 units in 13 psychiatric hospitals of the German-speaking part of Switzerland and analyzed the resulting data via multilevel analysis. This led to three main results. First, nurses reported a high mean value regarding their work-life balance. Second, multivariable regression results indicated that their work-life balance ratings correlated directly with certain psychosocial work environment factors (leadership and support of nurses, perceived staffing resources) and inversely with structural factors (employment percentage, overtime). And third, we found an interaction between leadership and support of nurses and the patient-to-nurse ratio: the lower the leadership level, the stronger the inverse association between patient load and work-life balance. No individual factors were significantly associated with work-life balance. Overall, though, we found that organizational factors are vital to nurses’ work-life balance. Therefore, interventions to improve nurses’ work-life balance should be institution-level, and should focus on improving either leadership or structural factors, e.g., employment percentage, overtime, and patient-to-nurse ratios.

During medical school and residency, we are taught to always keep boundaries with our patients. I took this lesson to heart and considered my patients merely as "diseases" during training. As I transitioned into the role of an early career attending physician, I realized my lack of meaningful patient relationships, and the concomitant burnout that it had caused. I hence changed my perspective and started listening to patient stories. These stories give me a purpose and gratitude in medicine that I had never felt before. On the flip side, I also gained insight that these stories come with a cost. There is so much joy, but grief exists simultaneously. Bad outcomes and patient losses are more heartbreaking than ever before. In this essay I reflect upon my journey of finding a path to the humanistic side of medicine and highlight my struggle to find the balance between the joy of connecting to patients and the vulnerability to pain and loss that accompanies it.

IMPORTANCE: Emotional exhaustion (EE) rates in healthcare workers (HCWs) have reached alarming levels and been linked to worse quality of care. Prior research has shown linguistic characteristics of writing samples can predict mental health disorders. Understanding whether linguistic characteristics are associated with EE could help identify and predict EE. OBJECTIVES: To examine whether linguistic characteristics of HCW writing associate with prior, current, and future EE. DESIGN SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A large hospital system in the Mid-West had 11,336 HCWs complete annual quality improvement surveys in 2019, and 10,564 HCWs in 2020. Surveys included a measure of EE, an open-ended comment box, and an anonymous identifier enabling HCW responses to be linked across years. Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) software assessed the frequency of one exploratory and eight a priori hypothesized linguistic categories in written comments. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) assessed associations between these categories and past, present, and future HCW EE adjusting for the word count of comments. Comments with <20 words were excluded. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The frequency of the linguistic categories (word count, first person singular, first person plural, present focus, past focus, positive emotion, negative emotion, social, power) in HCW comments were examined across EE quartiles. RESULTS: For the 2019 and 2020 surveys, respondents wrote 3,529 and 3,246 comments, respectively, of which 2,101 and 1,418 comments (103,474 and 85,335 words) contained ?20 words. Comments using more negative emotion (p < 0.001), power (i.e., references relevant to status, dominance, and social hierarchies, e.g., own, order, and allow) words (p < 0.0001), and words overall (p < 0.001) were associated with higher current and future EE. Using positive emotion words (p < 0.001) was associated with lower EE in 2019 (but not 2020). Contrary to hypotheses, using more first person singular (p < 0.001) predicted lower current and future EE. Past and present focus, first person plural, and social words did not predict EE. Current EE did not predict future language use. CONCLUSION: Five linguistic categories predicted current and subsequent HCW EE. Notably, EE did not predict future language. These linguistic markers suggest a language of EE, offering insights into EE's etiology, consequences, measurement, and intervention. Future use of these findings could include the ability to identify and support individuals and units at high risk of EE based on their linguistic characteristics.