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Purpose To identify the strategies and interventions U.S. health systems implemented to reduce burnout and increase employee well-being during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A concurrent design included a scoping review of published literature on burnout interventions implemented for healthcare workers during COVID-19 and expert interviews with healthcare administrators involved in COVID-19 burnout response efforts (N = 5). Scoping review protocols included a-priori inclusion criteria, search terms, database selection, and data abstraction (N = 21 articles). Results The scoping review identified eight types of interventions; spanning individual, organizational, and community systems. Qualitative data supported scoping review findings and uncovered themes related to communication, role shifting, and wellness initiatives as forms of burnout prevention and reduction. Conclusion As COVID-19 continues, so too will worker stress, burden, and burnout. Health systems worked quickly and creatively to address the needs of the frontline healthcare workforce, yet more work is needed to sustain efforts over time.

On October 29, 2012, a 12-ft storm surge generated by Hurricane Sandy necessitated evacuation and temporary closure of three New York City hospitals including NYU Langone Medical Center (NYULMC). NYULMC nurses participated in the evacuation, and 71 % were subsequently deployed to area hospitals to address patient surge for periods from a few days up to 2 months when NYULMC reopened. This mixed methods study explored nurses’ experience in the immediate disaster and the subsequent deployment. More than 50 % of deployed nurse participants reported the experience to be extremely or very stressful. Deployed nurses encountered practice challenges related to working in an unfamiliar environment, limited orientation, legal concerns about clinical assignments. They experienced psychosocial challenges associated with the intense experience of the evacuation, uncertainty about future employment, and the increased demands of managing the deployment. Findings provide data to inform national and regional policies to support nurses in future deployments.

Purpose Weather‐related disasters have increased dramatically in recent years. In 2012, severe flooding as a result of Hurricane Sandy necessitated the mid‐storm patient evacuation of New York University Langone Medical Center. The purpose of this study was to explore, from the nurses’ perspective, what the challenges and resources were to carrying out their responsibilities, and what the implications are for nursing education and preparation for disaster. Design This mixed‐methods study included qualitative interviews with a purposive sample of nurses and an online survey of nurses who participated in the evacuation. Methods The interviews explored prior disaster experience and training, communication, personal experience during the evacuation, and lessons learned. The cross‐sectional survey assessed social demographic factors, nursing education and experience, as well as potential challenges and resources in carrying out their disaster roles. Findings Qualitative interviews provided important contextual information about the specific challenges nurses experienced and their ability to respond effectively. Survey data identified important resources that helped nurses to carry out their roles, including support from coworkers, providing support to others, personal resourcefulness, and leadership. Nurses experienced considerable challenges in responding to this disaster due to limited prior disaster experience, training, and education, but drew on their personal resourcefulness, support from colleagues, and leadership to adapt to those challenges. Conclusions Disaster preparedness education in schools of nursing and practice settings should include more hands‐on disaster preparation exercises, more “low‐tech” options to address power loss, and specific policies on nurses’ disaster roles. Clinical Relevance Nurses play a critical role in responding to disasters. Learning from their disaster experience can inform approaches to nursing education and preparation.

Nurses and nursing students may need help understanding the connection between research and practice. Nursing students and clinical nurse leaders worked together to review institutional policies and make recommendations based on the strongest research evidence. In this column, the authors describe how they created a meaningful connection between research and clinical nursing practice for undergraduate nursing students and the benefits to the health system from this innovative program. [ J Contin Educ Nurs . 2023;54(10):441–443.]

Introduction: Disasters, such as hurricanes, pandemics, and mass casualty incidents, have become a fixture of modern life. Requirements for hospitals to prepare for and respond to disasters can be challenging, given resources available and today’s healthcare environment. This study explored these challenges by describing hospital employees perceptions of the disaster response experience, and the hospital work environment during disaster response. Background: Little is known about the challenges hospital employees face during disaster response. Prior research has identified concerns related to inadequate supplies, space, and staff to conduct successful healthcare responses to disasters. The safety and psychological wellbeing of hospital staff who participate in disaster response are additional concerns. Hospital employees’ experiences of disaster response may also be affected by employment factors such as job role and job level within the hospital organization. Methods: Qualitative description was used to examine the experiences of hospital employees who were involved in a hospital evacuation during Hurricane Florence in 2018. Sixteen hospital employees, sampled from the Frontline, Middle, and Leadership organizational levels, participated in semi-structured interviews. Documents were reviewed to provide context for the interview data. Using conventional content analysis, interview data and document review notes were examined for themes related to hospital staff experiences of working during the disaster, and participants’ perceptions of the disaster response work environment. Results: Participants described the cultures of teamwork, communication, and organizational learning during the disaster response experience. The disaster experience was shaped by participants’ job role and job level: Frontline employees described dissatisfaction with pay and fears about their own safety and the safety of their families; employees with clinical duties described patient safety concerns. Participants also described a second disaster: the permanent closure of the obstetrics unit after the hurricane, and the impact on hospital staff and the community. Conclusion: Effective hospital disaster response requires more than meeting hospital accreditation standards. Adequate supplies, space, and organizational culture are critical to ensure the health, safety, and psychological needs of employees who respond during a disaster. Hospital leaders and policymakers must devote the needed resources to hospital disaster preparedness to facilitate successful healthcare responses to disasters.

Purpose: To identify the strategies and interventions U.S. health systems implemented to reduce burnout and increase employee well-being during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A concurrent design included a scoping review of published literature on burnout interventions implemented for healthcare workers during COVID-19 and expert interviews with healthcare administrators involved in COVID-19 burnout response efforts (N = 5). Scoping review protocols included a-priori inclusion criteria, search terms, database selection, and data abstraction (N = 21 articles). Results: The scoping review identified eight types of interventions; spanning individual, organizational, and community systems. Qualitative data supported scoping review findings and uncovered themes related to communication, role shifting, and wellness initiatives as forms of burnout prevention and reduction. Conclusion: As COVID-19 continues, so too will worker stress, burden, and burnout. Health systems worked quickly and creatively to address the needs of the frontline healthcare workforce, yet more work is needed to sustain efforts over time. Keywords: workforce burnout, burnout prevention, front-line workforce, COVID-19, scoping review, burnout interventions

Hospitals nationwide are grappling with escalating nursing shortages, primarily driven by burnout and the educational gap between experienced nurses and recent graduates. To address this challenge, this pilot study aims to introduce the hybrid virtual nursing care model, with a focus on examining discharge tasks. The hybrid virtual nursing care model was implemented on two units within a rural hospital in the southeastern United States. The study's core methodology involved conducting time studies to identify and measure various tasks performed by both virtual and bedside nurses. Detailed time-stamped flowcharts were developed based on observations, capturing the flow and duration of key tasks associated with discharges. The research findings indicate a reduction in the time required for discharges with the implementation of the hybrid virtual nursing care model using TV kits. Communication exchanges revealed distinct patterns within this model, involving at least four communication exchanges between the bedside and virtual nurse, in contrast to traditional bedside care. Additionally, the study highlighted the importance of pre-existing workplace culture and the presence of project champions. Moreover, qualities essential for virtual nurses emerged, for example multitasking skills and effective communication, both emotionally and clearly, to convey the appropriate message to patients and caregivers virtually. The impact of the hybrid virtual nursing care model is vast and promising in the world of healthcare. The implications of the hybrid virtual nursing care model could expand far beyond discharges to include admissions, deliver comprehensive education to patients and caregivers, and can expedite medication confirmations without burdening bedside nurses.