Development of a nurse-manager dualistic intervention program to alleviate burnout among nurses based on the appreciative inquiry

AIMS: To develop a feasible and effective nurse-manager dualistic intervention program to support nurses coping with burnout symptoms. BACKGROUND: Person-organization combined interventions were recommended as the most effective approach for reducing burnout symptoms. However, few interventions have been developed in the nursing field. METHODS: The Medical Research Council, United Kingdom (MRC UK), Framework for Development and Evaluation of Complex Interventions, was employed for nurse-manager dualistic intervention program development. The following three steps were followed for developing the dualistic intervention program: (1) identifying the evidence base by conducting extensive reviews of the relevant literature and a mixed study; (2) identifying/developing a theory by selecting the job demands-resources model and proposing the theoretical framework for intervention development; and (3) modifying the process and outcomes of the nurse-manager dualistic intervention program. RESULTS: The intervention program consists of six group sessions over 9 weeks. Researchers/managers are supposed to deliver the program. The main contents of the intervention are (1) inception (session 1); (2) discovery (session 2); (3) dream (session 3); (4) design (session 4); (5) destiny (session 5); and (6) keep (session 6). The emphasis of the intervention is on helping nurses dealing with burnout symptoms. CONCLUSION: Following the guidance of the MRC framework, a feasible and potentially effective nurse-manager dualistic intervention program was developed for nurses coping with burnout. Future studies are needed to model the intervention and assess the effects and replicability of the intervention.