NR 702 Week 4 Project Evaluation

NR 702 Week 4 Project Evaluation

Student Name

Chamberlain University

NR-702: DNP Project & Practicum I

Prof. Name

Date

PICOT: The Clinical Question

Clinical Question: Can education help reawaken compassion among frontline nursing staff who experience burnout symptoms that lead to compassion fatigue (CF)?

This study aims to explore whether structured education and reflective practices can mitigate compassion fatigue and enhance compassion satisfaction among nurses. Compassion fatigue is a common issue among frontline healthcare professionals, particularly in high-stress settings such as intensive care units (ICUs) and emergency departments. Continuous exposure to patient suffering often results in emotional exhaustion, reduced empathy, and decreased professional satisfaction.

Through the introduction of educational interventions and reflective practices, such as Schwartz Rounds, this study seeks to determine whether compassionate care can be reinvigorated. The goal is to improve both staff well-being and patient outcomes by fostering emotional resilience and restoring compassion in clinical practice.

PICOT Breakdown

Sample Selection

The sample will consist of nurses working in intensive care and emergency departments, as these clinical environments are highly susceptible to burnout and compassion fatigue due to the demanding nature of patient care. Nurses of all genders, age groups, and levels of professional experience—from novice to expert—will be eligible to participate in Schwartz Rounds.

These departments have been specifically chosen because their staff frequently face emotionally challenging cases, increasing the likelihood of emotional detachment and loss of empathy. By including a diverse range of nurses, the study ensures both representativeness and generalizability of the findings.

Significance of Power Analysis and Sample Size

Conducting a power analysis is essential to ensure that the study includes a sufficient number of participants to yield valid, reliable, and statistically significant results. Power analysis enhances the credibility of research by minimizing the risk of false-positive or false-negative outcomes.

According to Seaman, Seaman, and Allen (2015), studies with inadequate sample sizes often lead to inconclusive or misleading findings. Conversely, studies that are appropriately powered produce credible evidence for practice change. Similarly, Sylvia and Terhaar (2014) highlight that determining an appropriate sample size supports the generalizability of findings to broader nursing populations. In this study, sample size will be calculated based on the estimated number of nurses at risk for compassion fatigue in ICUs and emergency departments.

Comparison

The study will assess the intervention’s effectiveness using the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL), a validated tool developed by Stamm (2010). The ProQOL measures both positive outcomes, such as compassion satisfaction, and negative outcomes, such as burnout and secondary traumatic stress.

Pre- and post-intervention surveys will be conducted to establish baseline and follow-up data, allowing for comparison of changes in compassion awareness and job satisfaction among participants after the educational and reflective sessions.

NR 702 Week 4 Project Evaluation

Evaluation Plan

The evaluation will employ a pre-test and post-test design. Before participation in Schwartz Rounds, nurses will complete the ProQOL survey to assess baseline levels of compassion fatigue, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion satisfaction. After the 8-week intervention, the same survey will be re-administered.

This before-and-after approach allows for both individual and group-level analysis of change, providing a clear understanding of the intervention’s effectiveness in improving compassion and well-being among nurses.

Summative Evaluation Criteria and Data Collection

The summative evaluation will focus on assessing overall improvements in emotional resilience and work satisfaction after the completion of the program. Post-test ProQOL results will serve as the primary summative measure.

Increased compassion satisfaction and decreased burnout among participants will indicate the program’s success. These outcomes would align with previous research demonstrating that structured reflective practices, such as Schwartz Rounds, enhance professional well-being and promote a positive workplace culture (Morrow, Mood, Disch, & Kang, 2015).

Formative Evaluation Criteria and Data Collection

Formative evaluation will occur throughout the 8-week intervention to monitor engagement and program relevance. Ongoing feedback will be gathered through periodic feedback sessions and informal discussions with participants.

This continuous feedback will allow for timely adjustments to the Schwartz Rounds sessions, ensuring participants remain supported and engaged. At the conclusion of the program, the comparison of pre- and post-test ProQOL results will indicate whether compassion satisfaction increased and burnout decreased over time.

Statistician

A statistician’s involvement will be crucial in maintaining the study’s methodological rigor. The statistician will guide the selection of statistical tests, manage data analysis, and ensure accurate interpretation of results. This collaboration ensures that findings are both statistically valid and meaningful for evidence-based nursing practice.

Data Analysis

Data collected from the ProQOL surveys will be analyzed using IBM SPSS and Microsoft Excel. Since ProQOL data are interval-level measurements, descriptive statistics such as mean scores, standard deviations, and ranges will first be computed.

Inferential statistical tests, such as t-tests or ANOVA, may then be applied to determine whether differences between pre- and post-test results are statistically significant. This rigorous analytical approach enhances the validity of conclusions regarding the intervention’s effectiveness (Sylvia & Terhaar, 2014).

References

Morrow, J. R., Mood, D., Disch, J., & Kang, M. (2015). Measurement and evaluation in human performance (5th ed.). Human Kinetics.

Seaman, C. A., Seaman, J. E., & Allen, I. E. (2015). The significance of power. Quality Progress, 48(7), 51–53.

Stamm, B. H. (2010). The ProQOL (Professional Quality of Life Scale: Compassion Satisfaction and Compassion Fatigue). Pocatello, ID: ProQOL.org. Retrieved from http://www.proqol.org

NR 702 Week 4 Project Evaluation

Sylvia, M., & Terhaar, M. (2014). An approach to clinical data management for the Doctor of Nursing Practice curriculum. Journal of Professional Nursing, 30(1), 56–62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2013.04.002