A Nurse Empowerment Program’s Impact on Burnout and Turnover Reduction in the Emergency Department

Background: Nurse burnout is directly related to the current nursing shortage because burnout may lead to turnover. Nursing shortages impact patient care and are costly to healthcare organizations. Three determinants to reduce nurse burnout include nurse recognition, shared decision making, and manager support. Methods: Nurses in an emergency department (ED) in the urban Midwest completed preimplementation surveys consisting of The Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey for Medical Personnel (MBI-HSS(MP), the Anticipated Turnover Scale (ATS), and a demographic survey. A nurse empowerment program was then implemented. After 3 months, the MBI-HSS(MP) and ATS were reassessed, and a post-implementation survey was completed by ED nurses. Results: At the 5% level of significance, statistical significance was not achieved for the ATS (p=0.190) or for any category of MBI-HSS: emotional exhaustion (EE) (p=0.681), depersonalization (DP) (p=0.588), and personal accomplishment (PA) (p=0.139) Discussion: Participants stated this project gave them a voice in the workplace and a chance to uplift others. Unanticipated barriers included the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and ED travel nurses. Implications for Practice: Continued implementation of the nurse empowerment program may improve nurses’ perceptions of the workplace, which may have the potential to improve patient satisfaction