Study: Greater support for nurses needed in their workplaces

Editor's Note

A new study by PRC, a healthcare market research and consulting company, finds that 15.6% of nurses have feelings of burnout and 41% feel unengaged, the September 6 nurse.org reports.

In addition, the survey of more than 2,000 healthcare partners finds that 50% of nurses who report feeling burned out also say they have no plans to leave their organizations—highlighting the importance of supporting nurses in their workplaces.

The “National Nursing Engagement Report,” which includes the survey findings, describes unengaged nurses as those who: “May not be part of a team with their colleagues, have diminished morale, and feel emotionally checked out from their work.”

Autonomy, teamwork and collaboration, staffing and resources, interpersonal relationships, and management access and responsiveness were all factors in engagement.

Authors of the report note that administrators need to find ways to restore joy and purpose to those whose engagement has diminished, including:

• involving them as active participants in decision making and letting them know their opinions are valued
• creating environments of respect, teamwork, and collaboration
• making leadership accessible and responsive to their needs.