Decreasing Exhaustion And Turnover By Boosting Morale And Appreciation

Project Topic:

Decrease Nursing Turnover and Exhaustion

Hospital, City and State:

Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Health, Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Unit:

• 8 Ardmore East General Medicine

CSI Participants:

• Rosemary Chase, MSN, RN, NP-C
• Sandra Green, BSN, RN, CMSRN
• Catrillie Kea, MSN, RN, CMSRN
• Crystal Thompson, ADN, RN
• Coach: Krisi Radzisz, BSN, RN, CHPN

Project Goals/Objectives:

1. Increase Healthy Work Environment Assessment Tool (HWEAT) Meaningful Recognition score from 4.19 to 4.24
2. Decrease RN turnover by 3%
3. Decrease Oldenburg Burnout Inventory scores by 5%
4. 75% compliance with staff utilizing the serenity room

Project Outcomes:

1. Increased HWEAT Meaningful Recognition scores to 4.25.
2. Decreased turnover from 33.3% (4 of 12 nurses) to 14.3% (3 of 21 nurses) between 2025 and 2026
3. Decreased Oldenburg Burnout Inventory total score from 40.8 to 37.93%
4. Utilization of serenity room was 35% compliance
5. These outcomes resulted in a positive estimated fiscal impact of $122,200

Project Overview:

In 2025, our nursing unit experienced a high turnover rate of 33%, with burnout metrics indicating 19% emotional exhaustion and 21.8% disengagement for a total score of 40.8. These outcomes were influenced by the high acuity and diverse patient population we serve, as well as staffing challenges, including a workforce largely comprised of travel and float nurses. The CSI team wanted to improve our HWEAT Meaningful Recognition score of 4.19 to 4.24 and decrease our Oldenburg Burnout Inventory total score by 5 percent.

A targeted intervention was implemented in January 2026, highlighted by the creation of a Serenity Room and supported by additional interventions introduced during a formal kickoff event and sustained throughout the year. Following implementation, our HWEAT meaningful recognition score increased from 4.19 to 4.25, exceeding our goal of 4.24. Nurse turnover decreased significantly to 14.3% from 33%. Oldenburg burnout metrics showed 17.72% disengagement and 20.12% for exhaustion for a total score of 37.93. We did not meet our target goal of 5%; however, we did have some positive change.

To help with our goals of turnover and exhaustion, it was our hope that our nursing staff would utilize the serenity room. Our compliance goal was 75%; however, there was only 35% compliance with usage of the room. We did offer an incentive to encourage usage of the room; for example, we raffled a cake from Nothing Bundt cakes. We will continue to encourage the usage of our room.