NURS FPX 6085 Assessment 2 Problem Statement (PICOT)

Name

Capella university

NURS-FPX6085 MSN Practicum and Capstone

Prof. Name

Date

Problem Statement (PICOT)

Nurse burnout and staffing shortages continue to challenge hospital-based healthcare systems, negatively impacting patient outcomes and workforce stability. As frontline caregivers, registered nurses are particularly vulnerable to emotional exhaustion, high turnover, and job dissatisfaction—factors compromising care quality and safety. Compared to current standard practice, this paper presents a quality improvement initiative centered on a PICOT question that investigates the effectiveness of a structured nurse retention strategy—including mentorship, wellness programs, and flexible scheduling. The aim is to reduce burnout, improve job satisfaction, and enhance care outcomes over six months within a hospital setting. Reviewing current literature and proposed intervention strategies, this paper outlines the rationale, target population, setting, expected outcomes, and implementation plan for addressing this critical healthcare issue.

PICOT Question

• P – Population: Hospital-based registered nurses experiencing staffing shortages and burnout
• I – Intervention: Implementation of a comprehensive nurse retention strategy (including mentorship programs, wellness resources, flexible scheduling, and leadership engagement)
• C – Comparison: Current standard practice without targeted retention and wellness strategies
• – Outcome: Reduced nurse burnout and turnover; improved job satisfaction and patient care quality
• T–Timeframe: Within 6 months of implementation

Full PICOT Question

In hospital-based registered nurses experiencing staffing shortages and burnout (P), how does the implementation of a nurse retention strategy that includes mentorship, wellness programs, and flexible scheduling (I), compared to current practice without such strategies (C), affect nurse burnout levels, turnover rates, and job satisfaction (O), over 6 months (T)?

Need Statement

This project addresses a quality improvement and management need related to the ongoing nursing shortage and burnout crisis in hospital settings. Nursing shortages and chronic burnout among registered nurses compromise patient safety, increase turnover, and strain healthcare systems’ ability to deliver consistent, high-quality care. Addressing this issue is essential to improving nurse retention, workforce satisfaction, and patient health outcomes. According to ANA (2024), nearly 69% of hospital-based nurses reported symptoms of burnout, with staffing shortages cited as a leading cause. The urgency of this need is underscored by increased nurse attrition and patient care errors linked directly to high workloads and inadequate institutional support, demonstrating that implementing effective nurse retention and wellness strategies is critical to improving healthcare system resilience.

Population and Setting

This project targets registered nurses in hospital settings, especially those in high-intensity areas such as intensive care units, emergency, and medical-surgical,l floors. Hospital-based registered nurses become vulnerable to high patient volumes, emotionally draining situations, and administrative workloads, directly driving burnout and workplace dissatisfaction (Galanis et al., 2023). The population of nurses working in direct patient care positions must receive support for burnout management and workforce retention because these clinicians are essential for delivering safe medical treatment and operational efficiency during hospital operations. The inability to retain these workers will cause significant turnover, unsustainable healthcare costs, and undesirable patient outcomes.

This proposal investigates a hospital network that currently experiences above-average burnout and nurse attrition statistics based on its staff sentiment data and human capital analytics. Focusing on this specific environment is essential because urban medical facilities deal with large, diverse patient caseloads, which create extra workloads for nursing staff (Galanis et al., 2023). Nursing institutions serving as teaching and referral centers intensify the requirement for a stable workforce because their mission depends on nurse engagement. Implementing burnout prevention along with nurse retention strategies within this specific setting can supply adaptable evidence-based solutions that healthcare facilities with related challenges can duplicate.

Intervention Overview

The project introduces three interconnected solutions for managing nurse burnout and workforce deficits within a mid-sized urban hospital, including mental health, resilience support, peer mentoring, and staffing adjustments. The resilience program offers hospital personnel on-site mental health counseling services together with mindfulness-based stress reduction workshops and stress management training (D’Antoni et al., 2025). The crafted interventions deliver appropriate support to hospital-based nurses because these interventions directly target the emotional and psychological impact of caregiving at the bedside. Implementing structured wellness programs produces quantifiable reductions in nurse burnout symptoms and concurrently raises the levels of job satisfaction among healthcare providers.

The organization will simultaneously establish peer mentoring and leadership development programs to advance professional development and encourage mutual support throughout the workplace. The selected intervention focuses on helping early-career nurses at risk of disengagement by making them feel more appreciated within their organization. The sustainable transformation requires an adjustment of staffing ratios for workload equality since staff shortages remain the main cause of burnout (D’Antoni et al., 2025). These methods demonstrate great potential for use within hospitals because they apply perfectly to facilities that suffer from complex hierarchical systems and large patient caseloads. This comprehensive strategy addresses burnout components, including emotional aspects and operational factors, while supporting the hospital’s goals related to workforce stability and improved patient care delivery.

Potential Communication and Collaboration

Multiple methods exist to evaluate communication and collaboration strategies for the initial intervention across different professional groups. The introduction of regular multidisciplinary team meetings allows healthcare professionals, including nurses, physicians, and social workers, to exchange open information. The method leads to a complete understanding of patient requirements and supportive coordinated care that improves healthcare results (Baek et al., 2023). The required time investment for such meetings presents a major disadvantage when hospitals operate in high-pressure conditions. Nurses utilize secure digital platforms and shared electronic health records to conduct real-time exchanges, reducing communication failures among healthcare staff. Staff members, especially those of older generations, might resist adopting digital communication systems because of their limited experience with modern technology (Baek et al., 2023). Implementing mentorship programs represents a solution to boosting collaboration by allowing junior staff members to learn from senior colleagues through formal guidance programs.

Comparison of Approaches

Implementing a shared governance model represents an interprofessional method to address resilience and staffing challenges by allowing nurses to join interdisciplinary teams for decision-making processes. The approach enhances cooperation and joint responsibility among different teams and their departments (McKnight & Moore, 2022). As opposed to wellness and staffing interventions, which focus on nurse well-being through support systems and structural changes, shared governance puts emphasis on professional autonomy as well as empowerment through collaborative team leadership to generate greater nurse purpose and engagement.

Shared governance is suitable for hospital settings as an implementation method because it builds sustainable cultural shifts and promotes interprofessional respect while demanding extended implementation time and organizational transformation compared to wellness programs. Through this model, organizations receive wider professional group participation, resulting in improved patient care coordination and enhanced communication between teams. Implementing shared governance will produce slower outcomes than the initial intervention since it less effectively tackles acute stress and burnout symptoms among nurses who face workload challenges (McKnight & Moore, 2022). The successful implementation of shared governance and wellness initiatives would deliver the most complete and enduring solutions to combat nurse burnout, making them an effective combination.

Initial Outcome Draft

The primary outcome of this intervention is to achieve a 25% reduction in nurse burnout rates within six months by implementing a resilience training program and optimizing staffing practices in the hospital setting. This outcome directly reflects the purpose of the intervention, which is to improve nurse well-being, retention, and overall job satisfaction through targeted wellness education and workload management strategies. By focusing on measurable improvements in burnout, the project aims to enhance the quality of care delivered, reduce turnover-related disruptions, and create a more supportive and sustainable work environment. This outcome establishes a framework for monitoring the impact of structural and emotional support interventions, ultimately contributing to improved patient safety, nurse engagement, and care delivery standards.

Time Estimate

A realistic time frame for developing the intervention—comprising resilience training curriculum design, staff scheduling optimization planning, and stakeholder engagement—would span 4–6 weeks. This period allows for evidence-based program development, coordination with HR and nursing leadership, and approval from hospital administration. The implementation phase is projected to last 6 months, during which training sessions will be delivered, workload adjustments enacted, and progress monitored using surveys and burnout assessment tools. This timeline is achievable but faces challenges such as scheduling conflicts, staff resistance to change, and limited availability of training resources. Early engagement with interprofessional stakeholders and flexible scheduling will maintain momentum and ensure successful implementation.

Literature Review

Hospital settings require immediate intervention because nurse burnout and staffing shortage problems keep growing worse, causing nursing retention issues and dissatisfaction at work. Multiple research studies demonstrate how workplace initiatives like mentoring, wellness packages, and flexible shift hours help resolve these problems in nursing care. Researchers compiled evidence from different sources to demonstrate why these interventions are essential and suitable for this population in their environment.

The research by AbdELhay et al. (2025) analyzed the impact of transformational leadership, career development, and work-life balance on nursing staff retention. The research findings validate that the creation of mentorship programs and professional development alternatives within supportive work environments leads to decreased nurse burnout and improved retention. These research results create essential knowledge for dealing with the staff scarcity and burnout that hospital institutions face today. Implementing retention strategies that address career development and work-life equilibrium supports the goal of minimizing nursing turnover and elevating job contentment because both aspects enable quality patient care and workforce dependence stability.

NURS FPX 6085 Assessment 2 Problem Statement (PICOT)

Martin et al. (2023) studied burnout and stress development among U.S. nursing personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research findings indicate that pandemic conditions worsened burnout symptoms, demonstrating why nurse support systems must be implemented immediately, including wellness initiatives and flexible work hours. Research outcomes substantiate hospital organizations’ need for nurse retention strategies because of their existing high-stress and burnout conditions. The proposed interventions in the PICOT question align with research findings to provide solutions for nurse mental health and work-life balance issues that will create a sustainable nursing workforce.

Pressley and Garside (2023) performed a systematic review to establish the major influencing factors that support nurse retention. The research study discovered that job environment alongside leadership quality and professional growth chances served as major decisions for nurses to maintain their positions. The authors demonstrate that workforce culture improvements and career advancement programs help nursing staff retention and burnout reduction. This evidence demonstrates why mentorship programs and wellness initiatives need to be included in comprehensive nurse retention strategies because they directly correspond to the target parameters described in the PICOT question.

Shah et al. (2021) researched burnout levels among U.S. nurses by establishing high workloads, insufficient staffing, and emotional stress as primary causes of burnout. This evidence confirms the necessity of implementing work pressure reduction strategies and enhancing job satisfaction measures by improving staff strength and supportive systems. The strategies mentioned in the PICOT question provide solutions to address fundamental stressors of burnout, which can prevent negative impacts on nurse satisfaction and retention in intensive care unit units facing workforce deficits.

NURS FPX 6085 Assessment 2 Problem Statement (PICOT)

Simonsen and Fleischer (2024) examined modern nurse recruitment and retention methods, stressing that nursing institutions must integrate detailed retention strategies, including mentorship and wellness programming. These strategies prove effective in managing elevated healthcare demands while managing the nurse shortage due to staff deficits. The research underlines the requirement to implement diverse nurse retention methods that strengthen workplace well-being and career enhancement. Mentorship and adaptable scheduling are crucial to addressing the PICOT issue.

An analysis by Tamata and Mohammadnezhad (2022) shows that workforce nursing shortages are mainly caused by poor nursing satisfaction, inadequate wages, and a lack of professional growth possibilities. The reviewed evidence shows that retention strategies based on mentorship and wellness initiatives must become essential in solving these workforce retention problems. The proposed interventions in the PICOT question prove effective as they decrease professional burnout and staff turnover and boost nurse employment satisfaction within hospital care.

Bae (2024) studied the relationship between nurse staffing levels and mandatory overtime along with work hours on nursing professionals’ job satisfaction and employee retention and experience of burnout. The study established that overworked nurses and understaffing lead to higher burnout and turnover rates. The strong body of evidence supports the implementation of flexible scheduling because it lets nurses exercise control over their shift arrangements to prevent burnout. Hospitals must focus on resolving these workplace factors since they protect job satisfaction while preventing healthcare staff burnout, particularly when medical facilities struggle with staffing problems.

NURS FPX 6085 Assessment 2 Problem Statement (PICOT)

Butler et al. (2022) introduced innovative staffing resource distribution strategies to resolve healthcare personnel staffing dilemmas. The article stresses that properly managing nurse employee resources is vital for healthcare organizations facing nursing shortages. The article supports nurse well-being interventions through its suggestions about effective resource distribution methods, such as targeted retention programs. The PICOT question explores the effects of mentorship combined with wellness programs and flexible scheduling on nurse retention and burnout among staff with employment vacancies at their facility.

Knapp (2022) addressed the ongoing staffing crisis exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, noting its profound effects on nurse burnout and job satisfaction. The article highlights the critical need for effective retention strategies, such as mentorship programs and wellness initiatives, to support nurses and reduce turnover. By focusing on creating supportive work environments and promoting work-life balance, the study supports the implementation of interventions designed to improve nurse well-being, thereby reducing burnout and improving retention in hospital settings facing severe staffing shortages.

Lasater (2024) examined policies addressing the nurse retention crisis, focusing on evidence-based strategies such as mentorship and wellness programs. The research demonstrated that organizations that implemented such policies saw improvements in nurse retention and reductions in burnout. This study directly supports the need for targeted interventions to alleviate burnout in hospital settings. By leveraging evidence-based retention strategies, hospitals can enhance nurse satisfaction and reduce turnover, ultimately improving staff morale and patient care outcomes.

Conclusion

Nurse burnout and staffing shortages deserve an extensive evidence-based solution system that promotes both nurse welfare and workplace retention. The paper developed a strategic nurse retention plan by combining professional mentoring with mental healthcare services and workload management adjustments. Research supports the proposed solution that follows current healthcare guidelines, will decrease burnout symptoms and turnover rates, and enhance nurse satisfaction and patient outcomes. Hospital organizations benefit from implementing this comprehensive strategy to build nursing workforce resilience while motivating their staff for individual and systematic performance improvements in patient care and healthcare delivery systems.

References

AbdELhay, E. S., Taha, S. M., El-Sayed, M. M., Helaly, S. H., & AbdELhay, I. S. (2025). Nurses retention: the impact of transformational leadership, career growth, work well-being, and work-life balance. BioMed Central Nursing, 24(1).

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-02762-1 

ANA. (2024, April 25). Nurse burnout: What is it & how to prevent it. American Nurses Association. https://www.nursingworld.org/content-hub/resources/workplace/what-is-nurse-burnout-how-to-prevent-it/ 

Bae, S.-H. (2024). Nurse staffing, work hours, mandatory overtime, and turnover in acute care hospitals affect nurse job satisfaction, intent to leave, and burnout: A cross-sectional study. International Journal of Public Health, 69. https://doi.org/10.3389/ijph.2024.1607068 

Baek, H., Han, K., Cho, H., & Ju, J. (2023). Nursing teamwork is essential in promoting patient-centered care: A cross-sectional study. BioMed Central Nursing, 22(1), 433. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-023-01592-3 

NURS FPX 6085 Assessment 2 Problem Statement (PICOT)

Butler, C. R., Webster, L. B., & Diekema, D. S. (2022). Staffing crisis capacity: A different approach to healthcare resource allocation for a different type of scarce resource. Journal of Medical Ethics, 50(9). https://doi.org/10.1136/jme-2022-108262 

D’Antoni, F., Matiz, A., & Crescentini, C. (2025). Mindfulness-oriented professional resilience (MOPR) training to reduce compassion fatigue in healthcare workers: A pilot study. Healthcare, 13(2), 92. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13020092 

Galanis, P., Moisoglou, I., Katsiroumpa, A., Vraka, I., Siskou, O., Konstantakopoulou, O., Meimeti, E., & Kaitelidou, D. (2023). Increased Job burnout and reduced job satisfaction for nurses compared to other healthcare workers after the COVID-19 pandemic. Nursing Reports, 13(3), 1090–1100. https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep13030095 

Knapp, T. C. (2022). The nurse staff pandemic. Journal of Radiology Nursing, 41(2), 74–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jradnu.2022.02.007 

Lasater, K. B. (2024). Addressing the nurse retention crisis—leveraging policies supported by evidence. JAMA Network Open, 7(7). https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.21635 

Martin, B., Kaminski-Ozturk, N., O’Hara, C., & Smiley, R. (2023). Examining the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Burnout and Stress Among U.S. Nurses. Journal of Nursing Regulation, 14(1), 4–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2155-8256(23)00063-7 

NURS FPX 6085 Assessment 2 Problem Statement (PICOT)

McKnight, H., & Moore, S. M. (2022). Nursing shared governance. PubMed; StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK549862/ 

Pressley, C., & Garside, J. (2023). Safeguarding the retention of nurses: A systematic review on determinants of nurse’s intentions to stay. Nursing Open, 10(5), 2842–2858. https://doi.org/10.1002/nop2.1588 

Shah, M. K., Gandrakota, N., Cimiotti, J. P., Ghose, N., Moore, M., & Ali, M. K. (2021). Prevalence of and factors associated with nurse burnout in the U.S. JAMA Network Open, 4(2), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.36469 

Simonsen, M. K., & Fleischer, M. (2024). Building a strategy for the recruitment and retention of nurses in healthcare: A contemporary issue. Nordic Journal of Nursing Research, 44. https://doi.org/10.1177/20571585241276740 

Tamata, A. T., & Mohammadnezhad, M. (2022). A systematic review study on the factors affecting the nursing workforce shortage in the hospitals. Nursing Open, 10(3), 1247–1257. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9912424/