This observational study will evaluate the feasibility of linking nursing workload to burnout and physiological well-being among acute care nurses. Researchers will collect data from three sources: hospital workforce management software, wearable health devices (Oura Rings), and validated surveys. Fifty nurses from intensive care and medical-surgical units at a level one trauma center will participate. The study will also include interviews to better understand workplace stressors. Findings will help identify patterns that contribute to burnout and guide the development of future interventions to support nurse well-being and improve workforce retention.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
50
Participants will contribute data through three integrated sources: workload metrics (workforce management software to assess patient acuity and shift characteristics); biometric monitoring (physiological data collected via the Oura Ring); and self-report surveys and semi-structured interviews.
University of Missouri
Columbia, Missouri, United States
Acceptability
Acceptability is evaluated based on the number of people who were approached to participate in the study compared to the number of people who agreed to participate. Reported as a percentage rate.
Time frame: Enrollment
Data completion rate
Reported as percentage rate of complete data obtained at baseline, 5 weeks, and 10 weeks
Time frame: Enrollment through 10 weeks
Retention rate
Reported as a percentage rate reflecting the number of participants participating at study completion compared to the number of participants participating at study commencement.
Time frame: Enrollment through 10 weeks
Heart rate
Reported as a numerical value reflecting beats per minute.
Time frame: Enrollment through 10 weeks
Heart rate variability
Reported as a numerical value in (milliseconds)
Time frame: Enrollment through 10 weeks
Sleep duration
Reported as the total sleep time (hours and minutes)
Time frame: Enrollment through 10 weeks
Sleep score
Reported as a numerical value (index value) ranging from 0-100
Time frame: Enrollment through 10 weeks
Resilience score
Reported as a numerical score (composite index value) ranging from 0-100
Time frame: Enrollment through 10 weeks
Patient Acuity score
The Oracle Health Workload Management Clairvia system operationalizes patient acuity in terms of the intensity of care provided by nursing staff and allows for the direct care time required per patient to be quantified. This allows capture of RNs' workload across the working shift, creating an individualized utilization value that can reported as a numerical value (score).
Time frame: From enrollment through the end of 10 weeks
The Perceived Stress Scale
The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) (r = .93) is a 10-item survey measuring general perceived stress over the past 1 month. Scores range 0 to 40; ≥ 14 suggests at least moderate perceived stress.
Time frame: Baseline, Week 5, Week 10
The Professional Quality of Life Scale
The Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL) is a 30-item measure of burnout, well-being, and occupational stress from the past 30 days. ProQOL subscales include compassion satisfaction (Cronbach's α = 0.88), burnout (Cronbach's α = 0.75), and secondary traumatic stress (Cronbach's α = 0.81). Scores are interpreted as ≤ 22 (low), 23-41 (moderate), and ≥42 (high) levels of the construct being measured.
Time frame: Baseline
The PROMIS-29 Profile v2.0
The PROMIS®-29 Profile v.2.0 assesses 7 domains of mental and physical health, including anxiety, depression, fatigue, physical function, social role, sleep disturbance, pain. Raw scores are converted to T-scores with higher T-scores representing more of the construct being measured.
Time frame: Baseline, Week 5, Week 10
Feasibility of Intervention Measure (FIM)
The Feasibility of Intervention Measure (FIM) is a 4-item, validated implementation outcome survey tool designed to assess how practical and achievable an intervention is within a given setting. Responses range from completely disagree to completely agree.
Time frame: Week 5, Week 10
Acceptability of Intervention Measure (AIM)
The AIM is a 4-item tool that evaluates the extent to which participants perceive an intervention as agreeable, satisfactory, or appealing. Responses range from completely disagree to completely agree.
Time frame: Week 5, Week 10
Intervention Appropriateness Measure (IAM)
The IAM is a 4-item tool that assesses the perceived fit or suitability of an intervention for a specific setting. Responses range from completely disagree to completely agree.
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Time frame: Week 5, Week 10
Qualitative Insights on Burnout and Organizational Stressors
Thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews exploring nurses' perceptions of stress, workload, and well-being.
Time frame: Baseline
Hours worked per week
Numerical value reflecting the total number of hours a nurse worked each week.
Time frame: Baseline through week 10