CSI Summary
Available only to registered AACN.org users.
Project Topic:
Decrease burnout and increase meaningful recognition
Hospital, City and State:
Los Angeles General Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
Unit:
Obstetrics, gynecology and medical-surgical unit
CSI Participants:
- Gloria Cousens-Olivas, AA, RN II
- Nicole Felis, BS, RN II
- Gina Gallegos, BSN, RN
- Paloma Hernandez, BSN, RN
Project Goals/Objectives:
- Increase workplace satisfaction for nurses
- Improve AACN Healthy Work Environment Assessment Tool (HWEAT) scores, specifically Meaningful Recognition, 20%
- Reduce burnout 15%
- Reduce nurse turnover 50%
- Increase staff morale 25%
Project Outcomes:
- Increased satisfaction 6%
- Improved HWEAT aggregate score
- Increased Meaningful Recognition standard score 28% from 2.81 to 3.60
- Improved all Healthy Work Environment standards
- Decreased burnout 21%
- Increased staff morale 19%
Project Overview:
In 2023, an employee engagement survey revealed that our unit morale scores were at an all-time low. In an attempt to increase morale and decrease burnout, our CSI team sent the HWEAT survey to our unit colleagues to identify the issues that were impacting burnout and, consequently, staff morale. The HWEAT scores revealed that our unit needed improvement in these areas: skilled communication, true collaboration and meaningful recognition. Our CSI team chose to focus on meaningful recognition.
Our project goal was to increase morale and meaningful recognition among staff and help increase the health of the work environment. The CSI team implemented several strategies to help us meet our project’s goals. These strategies included a monthly recognition box where managers and staff could nominate staff members who went above and beyond for patients and/or co-workers. Two winners were chosen monthly - one for days/evenings, the other for night shifts. The winners were presented with a “Helping Hand” certificate and a $10 Starbucks gift card, and the nurse manager also recognized them in our monthly staff meetings. Other project strategies that the CSI team implemented include creation of a gratitude board, a staff photo board, arts and crafts team building and staff outings.
After seven months, we repeated the HWEAT survey. All six HWEAT standard scores improved. Our aggregate score increased from 3.03 to 3.65, a 17% increase. Our HWEAT meaningful recognition score improved 28% from 2.81 to 3.60. Although our turnover rate was already low, with a preclinical rate of 8%, we did see a slight increase in turnover by another 6%, which was unrelated to our efforts, but it was still relatively low. In addition, staff morale improved 19%, and job satisfaction improved 6%.
Permission to Reuse Materials
The materials associated with this AACN Clinical Scene Investigator (CSI) Academy project are the property of the participating hospital noted above, not AACN. Requests to use content contained in the CSI team’s summary, presentation or toolkit should be directed to the hospital. We suggest reaching out to the hospital’s Communications, Marketing or Nursing Education department for assistance.
Disclaimer
The AACN CSI Academy program supports change projects based on quality improvement methods. Although CSI teams seek to ensure linkage between their project and clinical/fiscal outcomes, data cannot be solely attributed to the project and are estimations of impact.