Synthesis Paper Assignment
Prepare the Discussion section of your paper. Submit the entire document. However only the discussion section will be graded in this module. The discussion section should contain two to five paragraphs and should be a discussion of how the literature review impacts your topic. Go back to your thesis statement and be sure to clearly apply your literature review to your thesis statement. This is where you might choose to add practice examples.
The discussion section of your paper will start after your Literature Review section. Before submitting, ensure your references are on a separate reference page and Annotated Bib. starts on a separate page!
This is a good week to start reviewing the comments from previous papers and start making correction, if you have not already done so. The discussion is your own words supported by the literature (this means citing). If you refer to your practice setting make sure you avoid first person and contractions. The discussion should be at least 2-5 paragraphs. A well-developed paragraph should include at least 3 sentences!
Sample Paper
Synthesis Paper Assignment
Nurses are a critical part of health care, and they make up the largest section of the health care profession. According to the American Nurses Association, more nurses’ jobs will be created through 2022 in the United States to reduce the nurse shortage. Nurses shortage continues to be an issue of concern because of lack of potential educators, high turnover, and unequal workforce distribution.
Because of the great concern on the emotional and physical burnout among the health care workers, Afecto & Teixeira (2009) conducted a study to determine the job stress factors that nurses working in the Intensive Care Unit experienced and the signs and symptoms they demonstrated. This research confirmed that the nurses working in ICU are satisfied with their job, they also experience stressful situations at work, and they present signs and symptoms that cause burnout syndrome. Huge workload is one of the significant factors associated with nurse burnout. However, Allen & Mellor (2002), in their research to determine the association between care type, neuroticism, control, and symptoms of nurse burnout, found the same levels of burnout symptomatology and neuroticism in all the nurses. Specifically, neuroticism was associated with cynicism, lower professional efficacy, and exhaustion. The researchers proposed primary control to protect the nurses from burnout in acute care nurses.
Extensive research on nurse burnout shows that nurses suffer from emotional and physical exhaustion. According to De Keyrel (2018), various organizational factors cause nurse burnout, including the nurses’ length of time at work. The 12-hour day experience higher levels of stress compared to the eight-hour shifts. This means that spending longer time at work leads to burnout. Failing to finish their work on time cause significant stress and burnout to the patients. Other factors that cause burnout are backache because of standing for long hours, pressure related to working together as a group, and conflict. Tension and poor communication also cause stress and burnout. The inner desire to put others before themselves also causes stress as they parel the profession with selflessness instead of enjoying the work itself.
Having acknowledged that nurses experience nurse burnout in their workplace, it is essential to develop strategies to prevent it. Stress reduction programs have been implemented previously and found effective. These include having stress reduction classes for the nurses, creating space for relaxation, implementing mentor and buddy programs, creating a supportive and healthy work environment, offering to counsel, and recognizing and rewarding the nurses to lift their spirits (Hendren, 2010). Kravit et al. (2010) proposed developing self-care strategies for the nurses, such as a psycho-educational intervention for reducing stress and preventing burnout. This includes discussing nurse-specific risk factors, practicing relaxation techniques, and exploring art that can be used as interventions. Such a program can help the nurse’s practice self-care and lower the levels of burnout and stress. According to Randolph et al. (1986), training on burnout prevention can help reduce the cases of nurse burnout. The workshops can influence the manifestations of burnout syndrome. Nurse shortage is associated with high levels of burnout, affecting patient satisfaction and outcomes. According to Vahey et al. (2004), nurse burnout needs to be reduced. Improvements in the nurse wok situations reduce stress levels and increase the patient’s satisfaction with their care.
References
Afecto, M., & Teixeira, M. (2009). Evaluation of occupational stress and burnout syndrome in nurses of an intensive care unit: A qualitative study. Online Brazilian Journal of Nursing, 8(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.5935/1676-4285.20092107
Allen, J., & Mellor, D. (2002). Work context, personal control, and burnout amongst nurses. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 24(8). doi:10.1177/019394502237701
De Keyrel, A. (2018, June 13). The Biggest Causes of Nurse Burnout and What You Can Do. Retrieved July 11, 2019, from https://www.mededwebs.com/blog/well-being-index/thebiggest-causes-of-nurse-burnout-and-what-you-can-do
Hendren, R. (2010, June 15). Seven Strategies to Reduce Nurse Burnout. Retrieved July 11, 2019, from https://www.healthleadersmedia.com/nursing/seven-strategies-reduce-nurseburnout
Kravits, K., McAllister-Black, R., Grant, M., & Kirk, C. (2010). Self-care strategies for nurses: A psycho-educational intervention for stress reduction and burnout prevention. Applied Nursing Research, 23(3), 130-138. doi:doi.org/10.1016/j.apnr.2008.08.002
Randolph, G. L., Price, J. L., & Collins, J. R. (1986). The effects of burnout prevention training on burnout symptoms in nurses. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 17(2), 43-49. Retrieved July 10, 2019, from https://search.proquest.com/central/docview/915526756/fulltextPDF/13FDD724CF204B 80PQ/1?accountid=34574.
Vahey, D. C., Aiken, L. H., Sloane, D. M., Clarke, S. P., & Vargas, D. (2004). Nurse Burnout and Patient Satisfaction. Medical Care, 42(2). doi:10.1097/01.mlr.0000109126.50398.5a
