| dc.description.abstract | This project aims to further assess the issue of burnout among Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) students, a population that remains understudied in the context of burnout research. DNP students, who concurrently function as registered nurses, graduate students, and novice nurse practitioners (NPs), can face many challenges in their academic journey. The rigorous demands of didactic and clinical coursework have been shown to impact academic success and overall well-being. Existing literature highlights high levels of burnout among DNP students, which affect various aspects of their lives, including personal time, sleep, and relationships.
Resilience has been identified as a potential strategy to mitigate burnout, with more resilient individuals experiencing lower rates of burnout and an improved quality of life. By assessing the correlation between these factors, the aim is to shed light on the prevalence and causes of burnout symptoms in DNP students and explore the levels of resiliency within this population.
A quantitative descriptive survey was conducted to collect data on burnout and resiliency levels among DNP students. Thirty-one DNP students completed the survey. Burnout scores reflected moderate to high levels in second and third-year students, with first-year students experiencing the lowest rates of burnout. Resiliency scores were below the national average, with third-year students experiencing the lowest levels of resilience.
The cynicism component of burnout correlated negatively with resilience, while the professional efficacy component of burnout correlated positively with resilience. There was no correlation observed between the emotional exhaustion component of burnout and resilience. Furthermore, DNP students with resilience exposure experienced lower rates of cynicism and were found to be more resilient than participants who had no resilience exposure. These findings strengthen the theory that utilizing resilience is useful in decreasing burnout severity and increasing resilience.
The outcomes of this practice improvement project hold significant implications for the mental health and well-being of DNP students. Interventions can be developed by individuals and educational institutions to potentially prevent and reduce the likelihood of burnout. This project addresses an urgent need for research in this area and underscores the importance of prioritizing the mental health of healthcare professionals in training. | en_US |
