Edited Multimodal Project
Final ePortfolio Reflection
This was my second semester here at City Tech. For those of you who do not know, I returned to school in the fall after more than ten years to advance from a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) to a Registered Nurse (RN). And what a journey this semester has been. It was intense managing the numerous writing assignments and working full time, but I did the best I could. Compared to the start of the semester till now, the growth in my compression and ability to convey my ideas through writing has improved. Writing, as time passed, became more straightforward, and my command over correct word tenses and sentence structure improved. While I still make mistakes here and there, the importance of reviewing my work multiple times developed and helped mitigate the number of errors I made in my writing.
Thinking over the work assigned to uses from this semester, I enjoyed them, some more than others. My favorite had to be the annotated bibliography, as I had the opportunity to research a topic that interested me and find work from professionals that hold the same opinion and took the time to see what is currently occurring and develop ways to improve the situation. The next assignment I favored was the first one, where we had the choice to either write a speech or a letter. I chose to write a letter because I would be better able to persuade my audience through what I think is a more personalized piece of work, even when published to the masses. My least favorite assignment that I still enjoyed was the multimodal project. I believe I need to be more creative to attract my audience’s attention enough to get my point across in a memorable manner, but I still tried my best.
Considering the above assignments, I will continue to utilize the lessons completing them taught me. The first assignment, the letter, taught me how valuable language is in creating emotions in readers, which drives them to act on their beliefs. The second assignment, the annotated bibliography, reinforced my ability to conduct research, evaluate my findings, and ensure the validity of the work I’m considering utilizing. The last assignment, the multimodal project, highlighted the importance of grasping one’s audience through different mediums to ensure the point is memorable and appealing in a way that resonates with those who see or hear it. All these lessons will be beneficial to use in other courses, and I’m confident in my ability to do so.
This semester we were exposed to various genres of writing and expected to be able to emulate them in the assignments mentioned above. The multiple genres we viewed guided our thoughts on how to approach the projects, our understanding of the overall purpose of the projects, and shaped how we achieved the goals of the assignments. For the letter, it had to be persuasive, so I had to figure out to stimulate a reaction from my audience. For example, I wrote, “How would you feel if your mom or dad passed because there was tired and accidentally administered the wrong medication or over/underdosed them?” Here, I tried to garner a genuine reaction from my readers. With the annotated bibliography, I was trying to find work that supported my research topic, so I needed unbiased and well-conducted text. I had to be more judgmental of the work I was considering and view them from a stricter lens. For example, I wrote, “Overall, this webinar was an excellent resource that provides context on implemented practices by a magnet hospital that worked to help reduce nurse burnout.” As an analysis of a piece, I found that I surmised, which is written more formally, in my opinion.
As you can see, what I chose to write was very intentional. The two styles are very different, but they work to achieve my desired goal. In the letter, I detailed much of my experience so that the audience could understand the situation’s impact. I wanted to appeal to emotions, so I ensured the language in the letter and the images presented did just that. Regarding the multimodal project, I used animations that portrayed the text best.
As an immigrant from Haiti, English is not my first language, so I was nervous about taking any classes that required me to write so much as my understanding of English writing rules was lacking. I was surprised to find that I was wrong in that regard. My ability is not lacking, but my confidence in myself is. As I completed more and more assignments, I found that I’m a decent writer, and if I use the resources available to me, like Grammarly, I have no problem getting my point across. Speaking of Grammarly, I must thank the Professor for introducing me to resources. I always had trouble editing my work because, naturally, as a human, I tend to make mistakes. Grammarly helped tremendously to help point out my errors and minimize the number of mistakes I made as I went from assignment to assignment.
The feedback I received from my peers this semester has also been critical to my writing development. I remember the first discussion post we had to write regarding communities and the importance of language. I wrote, “How we use language allows people to connect and share experiences. Language in various communities directs the lenses through which people can understand one’s experience.” I revived a comment from my peer that reiterated my belief that my difficulties adapting to communicating in various ways with the English language was worth the struggle as I am now better able to connect to my peers native here.
This course this semester was not what I imagined it would be, but wholly enjoyable. I look forward to using what I learned to grow and develop further. I wish all the same for those who participated in this course with me as well. I also want to thank Professor Cipriani for facilitating the space where we could mature in our writing freely with support and positivity.
Edited Annotated Bibliography
Marie Desire
ENG 1121
Professor Cipriani
10 May 2023
Revised Annotated Bibliography
Research Question: With the current nursing shortage, how can we identify and address the causes of nurse burnout to improve the retention of nurses at the bedside?
Introduction
The healthcare industry is a conglomerate of different sectors, including healthcare providers, nurses and doctors, insurance agencies, and pharmaceuticals. One area in particular, the nursing industry, is amid a crisis. Currently, there is a worldwide shortage of nurses. There has always been a shortage of nurses throughout history, but the recent COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the situation. Due to the lack of nurses, many nurses in the field are experiencing burnout, worsening the current situation as well. But is that the only cause of nurse burnout? Working in the healthcare industry as a licensed practical nurse and experiencing the problem firsthand, I know that many other factors contribute to the increased number of nurses experiencing burnout. Hence, the purpose of this research has three parts. The first is to identify the factors that contribute to nurse burnout. The second is to find possible solutions to mitigate the impact of said contributors of nurses. The last part explores how suggested interventions worked to help decrease burnout in nurses and influence the retention of bedside nurses. The goal of this research is to find reasonable solutions to a problem that affects many people around me daily with the intent of formulating a plan to bring to the administrators of my workplace that they could implement.
Source Entries
Source One:
Citation
Abuzeid, Iman, and Sharon Pappas. “How Emory Healthcare’s Chief Nurse Executive Improves Nurse Retention and Resilience.” YouTube, YouTube, 17 June 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCisbwmVL3Q.
Summary
In a webinar hosted by the founder of Incredible Health, Iman Abuzeid, and the Chief Nursing Executive of Emory Healthcare, Sharon Pappas, the interventions applied to reduce nurse burnout and improve retention are discussed. The agenda included exploring the ability of healthcare workers to pivot and rebuild, the importance of interprofessional leadership, building resilience, improving retention, and tips for recruiting and hiring. At one point, Pappas highlights, various articles reviewing burnout and its relationship with workplace satisfaction. Pappas used the World Health Organization’s definition of clinical “burnout as a problem associated with chronic workplace stress” encompassing “emotional exhaustion, also known as overextension; depersonalization, also known as cynicism; and low professional efficacy, also known as the inability to see your own personal accomplishment” (Abuzeid and Pappas). Pappas details many of the tactics Emory employed to foster unity among their staff across disciplines. The video concludes with Abuzeid discussing how Incredible Health could help fill those vacant positions, which would lessen the burden nurses face by lowering the nurse-to-patient ratio and, in turn, help prevent burnout.
Analysis
Overall, this webinar was an excellent resource that provides context on implemented practices by a magnet hospital that worked to help reduce nurse burnout. Pappas reported that pre-pandemic, the turnover rate at Emory was 12.5% (Abuzeid and Pappas). During the pandemic, it rose to 20% (Abuzeid and Pappas). Due to changes implemented, it has fallen to 16% (Abuzeid and Pappas). The numbers are shocking, but I’m glad to see that what they are doing is helping to improve the situation. From what is mentioned in the video, burnout is the determining factor for the increase in the turnover rate. During the discussion, the intended audience is healthcare administrators with the power to make changes to improve their workplace. But it could also be targeted to the staff who can band together to draft a plan of action to improve their working conditions. This video helped to broaden my scope of understanding of what administrators must consider when formulating a plan to make changes in the workplace. Now that I can see interventions that work, I can use them to help construct a plan of action for my workplace.
Source Two:
Citation
Alenezi, Atallah, et al. “Burning out Physical and Emotional Fatigue: Evaluating the Effects of a Programme Aimed at Reducing Burnout among Mental Health Nurses.” International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, vol. 28, no. 5, Oct. 2019, pp. 1045–55. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.citytech.ezproxy.cuny.edu/10.1111/inm.12608.
Summary
The article discusses the current problem with employing and keeping nurses, particularly in the mental health nursing sector. The report identifies that mental health professionals experience burnout at a rate “between 20% and 67%” predominantly “at the early stage of their career” (Alenezi, Atallah, et al. 1045-46). The article identified that the primary influencing factor for burnout is increased stress. Burnout is defined as a “psychological symptom of stress, having a tri-dimensional set of symptoms; depersonalisation (DP) and emotional exhaustion (EE), common in the work situation, and lack of personal accomplishment (PA), an inability to accomplish or complete tasks” (Alenezi, Atallah, et al. 1046). The article highlights a study conducted among Saudi Arabian nurses that sought to identify the prevalence of burnout and the effect of implementing a program centered on educating nurses about burnout prevention in stress reduction. The study consisted of a sample of 296 nurses, of which 154 were in the intervention group, and 142 were in the control group. The participants were assessed at one-, three-, and six-month intervals after the intervention. The research concluded that the program was more effective immediately after the intervention. While the burnout rates did not return to the baseline, an increase in burnout was noted at the six-month assessment. The research concluded that nurses would benefit from intervention regularly.
Analysis
Overall, this article was an interesting read. While not based in the United States, the research question is almost identical to mine. It should not be surprising, but I was still stunned to see how much of a problem burnout is worldwide. This article is trustworthy because the article was published in the International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, and research was conducted on mental health nurses. The intended audience is clear to be those within the field of mental health nursing. Still, the report could interest others besides nurses in mental health, students, and nursing administrators. I found the article to be a wealth of information. The idea to provide mandated education to staff regarding identifying burnout and how to reduce stress has merit. I applaud the researchers for recognizing that this could not be a one-time intervention, but must be conducted routinely. I suggest having the course every three to four months to ensure the material introduced is retained and new tactics can be presented as they are found. Because this study tested an intervention, this source helps to enhance my research and show it if I so choose as “high level of job satisfaction among nurses has been associated positively to remain in employment, and negatively with increased turnover rates” (Alenezi, Atallah, et al. 1046).
Source Three:
Citation
Dall’Ora, Chiara et al. “Burnout in nursing: a theoretical review.” Human resources for health vol. 18,1 41. 5 Jun. 2020, doi:10.1186/s12960-020-00469-9
Summary
The purpose of this article was to present a comprehensive overview of what is understood about burnout, the factors that contribute to it, and the impact it has on the nursing field. The researchers explored various databases, including MEDLINE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO, to obtain the information presented in the article. The article includes information from ninety-one peer-reviewed articles that included nursing and burnout from twenty-eight countries. The report found that eighty-one studies utilized the “Maslach Burnout Inventory Scale…which comprises three subscales reflecting the theoretical model: Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalisation, and reduced Personal Accomplishment” (Dall’Ora, Chiara et al. 5). The results of the research also detailed six main areas influencing burnout including,
“Working patterns and shifts working (n = 15), Features inherent in the job such as psychological demand and complexity (n = 24), Job support from working relationships and leadership (n = 39), Hospital or environmental characteristics (n = 28), Staff outcomes and job performance (n = 33), Patient outcomes (n = 17), [and] Individual attributes (personal or professional) (n = 16)” (Dall’Ora, Chiara et al. 7).
The research concluded that the articles on the topic consistently report the adverse effects of burnout on workplace features and personally affecting the staff and patients. It was also noted that there needs to be more research on the relationship between burnout and retention rates.
Analysis
The article was well constructed and presented the information in a way that anyone who reads it could understand. Additionally, the report is a literature review of the information available regarding nurse burnout. Published in Human Resources for Health, the paper meets the requirements to be considered peer reviewed and essentially a trustworthy source. The report targets those like me interested in researching nursing burnout. One aspect of the article that I like is the use of a graph to depict the various factors that impact burnout. One question I have is if job security was observed with low quality because of the lack of supporting evidence or for another reason entirely. This article is an excellent source as it conducted my research. It presents all the information I would need if I were to write a paper and list the information where I can get further detail regarding a specific idea should I choose to. This is likely due to this source being a literature review.
Source Four:
Citation
“5 TELL TALE SIGNS OF BURNOUT.” Australian Nursing & Midwifery Journal, vol. 25, no. 5, Nov. 2017, pp. 22+. Gale OneFile: Nursing and Allied Health, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A518337814/PPNU?u=cuny_nytc&sid=bookmark-PPNU&xid=03b73d3d. Accessed 8 Apr. 2023.
Summary
The article details the five critical indications of nurse burnout. They include “Fatigue,” “Loss of motivation,” “Irritability and cynicism,” “Mistakes,” and “Detachment” (“5 TELL TALE SIGNS OF BURNOUT” 22). For each sign, an explanation of how it manifests and its consequences are provided. The article then includes a section on managing burnout which highlights a nurse Linda and her experience with burnout. Another area included providing suggestions on prioritizing health from Carolyn McDonald, a registered nurse. “To deal with burnout,” McDonald “encourages nurses and midwives to take time out immediately if required” (“5 TELL TALE SIGNS OF BURNOUT” 23).
Analysis
As a healthcare worker, I agree 100% with the article’s indicators for burnout. The number of people I have heard perform preventable mistakes due to increased fatigue and needing to be more motivated is ridiculous. I agree with McDonald’s idea to take time away before it becomes too much, but for that to happen, people need to be able to identify the signs in themselves and others. The article was published in the Australian Nursing & Midwifery Journal and is more of an opt-ed that addresses healthcare professionals specifically. This source reinforces my knowledge of burnout and reiterates the importance of self-awareness and seeking help from an outside source if necessary. What I liked about this article is the image of a burning match at different stages to reflect the worsening of burnout.
Conclusion
My research aims to identify how the nursing shortage is influenced by nurse burnout. First, it is necessary to define what burnout is and how we can identify burnout in ourselves and others. Next, it is to explore how burnout impacts retention rates and what intervention can help to mitigate the effects. From my research, burnout is a consequence of stress in the workplace due to excessive demands from the workplace. Signs of burnout include extreme fatigue, detachment, increased mistakes, irritability, and lack of motivation. Some interventions that were found to work to help mitigate burnout are improved staffing to reduce nurse workload and education about the signs of burnout and stress coping mechanisms. The people who need to be aware of my research are precisely those who work in healthcare, primarily nurses and their managers. Nurses so that they can understand what is happening to them and those around them and come up with a plan or use one that has already been created. And manages so that they can put the suggested intervention into effect.
Works Cited
Abuzeid, Iman, and Sharon Pappas. “How Emory Healthcare’s Chief Nurse Executive Improves Nurse Retention and Resilience.” YouTube, YouTube, 17 June 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCisbwmVL3Q.
Alenezi, Atallah, et al. “Burning out Physical and Emotional Fatigue: Evaluating the Effects of a Programme Aimed at Reducing Burnout among Mental Health Nurses.” International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, vol. 28, no. 5, Oct. 2019, pp. 1045–55. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.citytech.ezproxy.cuny.edu/10.1111/inm.12608.
Dall’Ora, Chiara et al. “Burnout in nursing: a theoretical review.” Human resources for health vol. 18,1 41. 5 Jun. 2020, doi:10.1186/s12960-020-00469-9
“5 TELL TALE SIGNS OF BURNOUT.” Australian Nursing & Midwifery Journal, vol. 25, no. 5, Nov. 2017, pp. 22+. Gale OneFile: Nursing and Allied Health, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A518337814/PPNU?u=cuny_nytc&sid=bookmark-PPNU&xid=03b73d3d. Accessed 8 Apr. 2023.
Edited Discourse Community Statement
Based on the reading by Swales, a discourse community comprises a group of people with similar concerns, goals, and ideologies who gather to discuss ways to make their beliefs a reality. I can say that one discourse community I’m a part of is the 1199 Nursing Union. The union is an example of a formal focal discourse community because it requires a paid membership, organized rules, and elected leadership. It has a documented shared set of goals. It often meets to discuss potential changes and how to ensure that said goals are maintained. I frequently receive emails, newsletters, and invitations to attend meetings to be aware of what is happening. Another discourse community I’m a part of is my neighborhood block association, which would be an example of a local residential discourse community because the concerns are only relevant to those who reside on my block. They provide newsletters and post flyers monthly to provide awareness. My church is the last discourse community I think I’m a member of. I attend a catholic church and believe it fits the vocational local discourse community well. I get bulletins weekly and email updates from them as well. I also think the church is a folocal discourse community as the Pope and the Vatican significantly influence it. And lastly, I am a student which allows me to be apart of the academic and student discourse communities.
Introduction Post
Hello everyone. Thanks for taking the time to visit my ePortfolio. For those of you who don’t know, my name is Marie Desire. I decided to return to school after about 15 years to finally pursue my dream of obtaining a bachelor’s degree in nursing last fall. I got the courage to do so after seeing my eldest get hers.
Some background on me, I am an adult learner, well into my 50s, and am the mother of two girls. I work in a city rehabilitation and nursing care facility as a licensed practical nurse. I immigrated from Haiti in the early 90s, so English is my second language. Through helping my children with schoolwork and attending college myself, I was able to build up a decent command of the English language.
This semester allowed me to expand my ability to effectively convey my ideas across paper. This ePortfolio is a testament to my knowledge and growth. Feel free to comment and give tips on how I can improve further.
