Evidence-Based Education Program to Reduce Nurse Manager Burnout

Nurse managers face numerous challenges and stressors in their daily practice. The support services offered to managers to facilitate coping in stressful situations vary among employers and may be ineffective depending on the stressors faced. Implementation of evidence-based best practices may positively impact nurse managers\u27 ability to manage stress. The purpose of this project was to develop an evidence-based stress reduction education program to empower nurse managers to handle work-related stressors and reduce burnout. The primary theory used to inform this project was the job demands-resource model, which explains how job demands and resources have multiple effects on job stress, ultimately impacting a worker\u27s level of engagement. Sources of evidence included peer-reviewed journals, evidence-based studies, and published documents or programs. Education was synthesized based upon evidence obtained during the literature review. Consistent with the evidence, topics covered in the education were; nurse manager-initiated methods of stress reduction, methods of modifying a workplace environment to decrease stress, nurse manager peer support, senior leadership involvement in nurse manager stress reduction, and the inclusion of future leader development as a stress management method. The focused learning objectives were nurse manager specific, measurable, and supportive of an adult learner. The social change impacted by this project will be derived from fostering a nurse managers ability to better cope with stressful situations, thus enhancing their role as a nursing leader