Implementation of ‘Three Good Things’ to decrease healthcare worker burnout

Abstract

Burnout is a serious health issue nationally and globally, especially among healthcare workers, with minimal attention given to school nursing despite their vital importance to comprehensive care for children and their role during the COVID-19 pandemic. This project aimed to decrease emotional exhaustion and burnout and increase wellbeing in school nurses working in the Hawaii Keiki (HK) Program by implementing ‘Three Good Things’ positive psychotherapy intervention over the span of one-month. The project site was HK with participants consisting of registered nurses (RNs) working in the HK program. This project was designed to translate evidence into practice by implementing positive psychotherapy “Three Good Things”, where participants were asked to think, reflect, and share three good things that happened that week for the span of one month. Wellbeing was measured utilizing the Wellbeing Index (WBI) that was sent to participants through online pre- and post-intervention questionnaires. Results showed increase in wellbeing in RNs with 10-15 years of experience and 1-5 years of school nursing and HK experience. However, related to low participation and high wellbeing of participants at baseline, it is inconclusive whether there was a significant increase to wellbeing as a result of the intervention.