A Role to Alleviate Burnout and Maintain Quality of Care

Health care in acute care settings has become increasingly complex and stressful with rapidly evolving treatment options, a growing aging population with multiple comorbidities, and expectations to deliver high-quality care with less resources to curb rising costs. Numerous studies have documented the ever-growing problem of burnout in health-care providers working in acute care settings and increased provider interruptions leading to medical errors. From 2018 to 2019, a new advanced practice provider (APP) role was tested on a 36-bed inpatient bone marrow transplant unit at the University of Colorado to address these issues. The goal of this role was to alleviate stressors and minimize interruptions that could otherwise contribute to compromised patient care and safety. In addition to improving patient care, the goal of the role is to improve job satisfaction. A description of the role and its development and implementation at the University of Colorado Hospital, Anschutz Medical Campus, is highlighted in this article.