Abstract
Purpose: The health and well-being of healthcare clinicians has become a national priority. More than half of the nurses and health care clinicians report symptoms of burnout.1-2 Burnout can lead to decreased overall wellness an increase in medical errors, and negative patient outcomes.3-4 The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of the self-care management program on clinician health and well-being over six months. This study aimed to answer the following questions: 1) Among clinicians practicing in an acute care setting, does participating in a self-care management program impact perceived health and well-being at six months? 2) Which factors were most associated with perceived well-being and job burnout?
Methods: A cross-sectional, pre/post survey design was used to evaluate the perceived degree of wellness among clinicians practicing in a large hospital system before and six months following the implementation of a self-care management program. All nurses including RNs and LPNs, as well as nursing support staff such as Patient Care Technicians (PCTs), Unit Assistants (UAs), Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs), and Paramedics, were invited to participate. Upon enrollment, each participant received a self-guided self-care management plan and was provided access to a self-monitoring app to track their progress.
Study instruments used included the Self Care for Healthcare Survey5, two items from the organization’s employee satisfaction survey, a Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) for burnout developed by the researchers and one open-ended response item. All were administered electronically at the beginning of the program and again at six months. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, paired t-tests to evaluate self-reported levels of burnout pre- and post-intervention, and Pearson’s product-moment correlation to evaluate factors most associated with well-being and burnout. Qualitative data analysis of open-item responses was also conducted.
Outcomes: Out of the 592 RNs, LPNs, emergency EMTs, paramedics, and nursing support staff who participated in the study, the average self-reported burnout score was M = 4.64, SD = 2.45 at baseline and M = 4.33, SD = 2.66 after 6 months. A higher level of burnout was associated with lower perceived support from leadership (r = -.47, p =.001), their department (r = -.43, p=.001), and colleagues (r = -.31, p = .001), lower job satisfaction (r = -.59, p=.001), and intention to leave the organization within one year (r = .57, p = .001). No significant difference in the self-reported levels of burnout at six months was found.
Qualitative data analysis found that the time required for the program activities was negatively impacted by external factors such as poor work-life balance. Critical staffing shortages resulted in frequent requests to work overtime, which in turn led to limited time off and a lack of opportunities for self-care activities.
Implications: This study highlights that increased perceived workplace support is an important factor associated with a lower degree of burnout among healthcare clinicians. Initiatives focused on improving work-life balance to prevent burnout and strategies to improve workplace support for nurses and support staff are needed for future studies.
Notes
References:
1. National Academy of Medicine (2022). National Plan for Health Workforce Well-Being. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/26744.
2. Melnyk, B.M., Orsolini, L., Tan, A., Arsalan-Engoren, C., D’Eramo-Melkus, G. A, et al. (2018). National study links nurses’ physical and mental health to medical errors and perceived worksite wellness. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, (60), 2, 126-131. DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000001198
3. Melnyk, B.M., Hsieh, A.P., Tan, A., Teall, A.M., Weberg, D., Jun, J. et al. (2022) Associations among nurses’ mental/physical health, lifestyle behaviors, shift length, and workplace wellness support during COVID-19: important implications for health care systems. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 46(1), 5–18. Available from: https://doi. org/10.1097/NAQ.0000000000000499
4. Dyrbye LN, Shanafelt TD, Johnson PO, Johnson LA, Satele D, West CP. (2019) A cross-sectional study exploring the relationship between burnout, absenteeism, and job performance among American nurses. BMC Nurs., 18 (57). doi: 10.1186/s12912-019-0382-7.
5. Theiman, L. (n.d.) The SelfCare for HealthCare Program, Available from: https://www.selfcareforhealthcare.com
Sigma Membership
Tau Psi at-Large
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Cross-Sectional
Research Approach
Mixed/Multi Method Research
Keywords:
Registered Nurses, Hospital Nursing Staff, Professional Burnout, Psychological Well-Being
Recommended Citation
Rouse, Melissa and Carrega, Joanna, "Impact of a Self-Care Intervention Program on Clinician Health and Well-Being" (2026). Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE). 127.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/chwe/2024/presentations_2024/127
Conference Name
Creating Healthy Work Environments
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Washington, DC, USA
Conference Year
2024
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2026-03-06
Impact of a Self-Care Intervention Program on Clinician Health and Well-Being
Washington, DC, USA
Purpose: The health and well-being of healthcare clinicians has become a national priority. More than half of the nurses and health care clinicians report symptoms of burnout.1-2 Burnout can lead to decreased overall wellness an increase in medical errors, and negative patient outcomes.3-4 The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of the self-care management program on clinician health and well-being over six months. This study aimed to answer the following questions: 1) Among clinicians practicing in an acute care setting, does participating in a self-care management program impact perceived health and well-being at six months? 2) Which factors were most associated with perceived well-being and job burnout?
Methods: A cross-sectional, pre/post survey design was used to evaluate the perceived degree of wellness among clinicians practicing in a large hospital system before and six months following the implementation of a self-care management program. All nurses including RNs and LPNs, as well as nursing support staff such as Patient Care Technicians (PCTs), Unit Assistants (UAs), Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs), and Paramedics, were invited to participate. Upon enrollment, each participant received a self-guided self-care management plan and was provided access to a self-monitoring app to track their progress.
Study instruments used included the Self Care for Healthcare Survey5, two items from the organization’s employee satisfaction survey, a Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) for burnout developed by the researchers and one open-ended response item. All were administered electronically at the beginning of the program and again at six months. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, paired t-tests to evaluate self-reported levels of burnout pre- and post-intervention, and Pearson’s product-moment correlation to evaluate factors most associated with well-being and burnout. Qualitative data analysis of open-item responses was also conducted.
Outcomes: Out of the 592 RNs, LPNs, emergency EMTs, paramedics, and nursing support staff who participated in the study, the average self-reported burnout score was M = 4.64, SD = 2.45 at baseline and M = 4.33, SD = 2.66 after 6 months. A higher level of burnout was associated with lower perceived support from leadership (r = -.47, p =.001), their department (r = -.43, p=.001), and colleagues (r = -.31, p = .001), lower job satisfaction (r = -.59, p=.001), and intention to leave the organization within one year (r = .57, p = .001). No significant difference in the self-reported levels of burnout at six months was found.
Qualitative data analysis found that the time required for the program activities was negatively impacted by external factors such as poor work-life balance. Critical staffing shortages resulted in frequent requests to work overtime, which in turn led to limited time off and a lack of opportunities for self-care activities.
Implications: This study highlights that increased perceived workplace support is an important factor associated with a lower degree of burnout among healthcare clinicians. Initiatives focused on improving work-life balance to prevent burnout and strategies to improve workplace support for nurses and support staff are needed for future studies.
Description
This presentation provides a brief overview of a study aimed at tackling the growing issue of RN burnout. The study involved implementing a self-care management program at a large multi-campus health organization. Program outcomes and major study findings are described.