The head nurse on a unit that serves persons with cognitive impairment is concerned about her staff, many of whom seem to be becoming "burned out" by their challenging work

Question

Which response by the head nurse is most likely to minimize staff frustration and burnout on the unit? Select all that apply. a. Educate staff regarding realistic expectations for this patient population.
b. Arrange for 12-hour shifts so that staff can have more days off per week.
c. Guide staff to use small, realistic goals as their measure of patient progress.
d. Provide for after-work activities such as meeting at taverns for happy hours.
e. Encourage and support staff in taking good care of their own health.
f. Rotate staff shifts and assignments to vary their work and keep it fresh.

Answer 1

A, C, E
Working with high concentrations of persons with dementia can be very challenging. Such work focuses on maintaining function and quality of life rather than the more traditional nursing goals of improvement and recovery from illness. Helping staff to understand and adjust to this difference helps them to have more realistic expectations of their work, and in turn, to experience fewer disappointments in their work. Setting small, realistic patient goals works similarly to enable staff to see progress and to have more positive work experiences. Taking care of one's own health enables staff to be more resilient in the face of the emotional and physical demands of their work. Twelve-hour shifts may exceed the emotional and/or physical stamina of many staff in a way that is not fully counterbalanced by the additional days off each week. Encouraging consumption of alcohol as a coping technique promotes maladaptive coping. Rotating shifts and assignments tends to keep staff off balance and deprives them of having enough time with patients to see their improvement.