Show-Me State Times

Even before the coronavirus pandemic, high rates of burnout and staffing shortages plagued the nursing industry due to the stressful demands of the job. The COVID-19 pandemic only amplified these challenges, making nurse retention crucial to avoiding an impending workforce crisis.

Despite numerous studies highlighting burnout as an issue, few offer interventions to help nurses and their patients overcome its challenges.

A recent study by the University of Missouri found that giving nurses massages during their work shifts not only reduces physical aches and pains but also leaves them mentally rejuvenated. These findings could guide healthcare leaders in considering massages or other interventions to improve employee well-being and reduce staff turnover.

Jennifer Hulett, a nurse for 30 years and now a researcher at Mizzou’s Sinclair School of Nursing, has firsthand experience with the physical aches, chronic stress, and high burnout rates associated with 12-hour shifts.

“I have seen over the years the physical and mental toll the job puts on nurses, and many nurses are not healthy as a result,” Hulett said. “It is unfortunate because nurses dedicate their careers to taking care of their patients, but no one is taking care of the nurses. I’m determined to change the culture of the nursing industry in a way that improves well-being through mind-body interventions.”

In a recently published study, nurses were surveyed on their physical symptoms related to aches and pains as well as their mental well-being before and after receiving 15-minute massages twice per week during their work shift for a month.

“After just one month of the intervention, the nurses reported fewer aches and pains after receiving the massages,” Hulett said. “Perhaps the most important finding was that nurses often reported feeling rejuvenated to go back to work after the massages, improving their overall mental well-being.”

Hulett aims to create a healthier work environment where nurses are excited about going to work and want to remain in the profession long-term. She suggests that more research is needed to explore other types of interventions that might be effective in improving employee well-being.

“It is time to start thinking outside the box because if we do nothing, current staffing shortages will continue to get worse,” Hulett said. “We have seen over the years that it becomes a vicious cycle where you are constantly hiring new nurses without enough experienced nurses to mentor and train them. This ultimately impacts patient care quality, which is another critical topic future research can explore.”

While this study focused on burnout in nursing, Hulett noted that other healthcare professionals experiencing high rates of staffing shortages due to burnout could benefit from similar interventions.

“Massage therapy for hospital-based nurses: A proof-of-concept study” was published with collaboration from Susan Scott.