The pandemic has extremely impacted our community at Mennonite Village (MV). We have seen an increase in the amount of burnout and stress our nursing staff have been experiencing. Staffing shortages, COVID-19 precautions, and increased workloads could be some of the reasons we are seeing this issue. We have had a high employee turnover rate because of this situation, which has had a huge impact on our organization and company culture. We plan to use the funds we receive from this grant to help combat these issues while giving our nursing staff the opportunity to alleviate these symptoms and become re-engaged in their work.

MV aims to update and renovate existing staff break rooms to provide stress-reducing employee oases. The ideal employee oasis would include dynamic lighting, sound therapy (Amazon Alexa, water fountains, etc.), aroma therapy (depending on staff allergens), massage chairs, and space for decompressing activities (meditation, yoga, etc.). These break rooms are located at our memory care (Lydia’s House), skilled nursing (Mennonite Home), and assisted living (Quail Run) communities. Additionally, we would renovate similar relaxing spaces outdoors for staff as well.

Our desired outcome from this project would be to see a measurable decrease in the burnout experienced by MV nursing staff. We will measure the success of the project in our community with a survey of the healthcare areas on campus. The Copenhagen Burnout Inventory will be the survey we utilize for this project. By using this survey tool, it will help us identify the source of the majority of the experienced burnout. We will investigate three different areas of burnout, which include personal burnout, work-related burnout, and resident-related burnout. Employees will take the 19-question survey once before the completion of the project and once after. This will allow us to see any significant differences that are direct outcomes from the completion of our project.