Workplace well-being of Advanced Practice Nurses and patient outcomes

Workplace well-being has been defined as a state of pleasure in doing your own job. Work engagement is an effective indicator to measure workplace well-being.

To investigate the level of work engagement among the Advanced Practice Nurses and describe patient outcomes.

A survey based on Utrecht Work Engagement Scale-17 (ranging 0-6) was administered to 11 Advanced Practice Nurses; data were collected in August 2021. Different outcomes were detected: incidence of pressure ulcers in COVID 19 patients; postoperative issues; number of cornea donations in eligible patients (from 2017 to 2020); number of preoperative stoma site marking.

The results showed a median age of 48 [41-52] years, most of the partecipants were women (63.64%). Advanced Practice Nurses showed high levels of engagement as a whole (5.18 0.30) and on vigor (4.91 0.82), dedication (5.51 0.80) and absorption categories (5.12 0.68). 360 patients with COVID-19 were observed and only 17 of them (4,5%) had Pressure Ulcers (density incidence: 2,72ulcers/1000 patients day). Intervention by case manager completely solved the patient's problem in 10 cases (71.43%) during the postoperative period. A 13% increase in corneal donations was observed in eligible patients from 2017 to 2020. Preoperative stoma site marking was present in 103 (99.3%) of eligible patients.

Advanced Practice Nurses present high levels of work engagement. Outcome results are coherent with the literature; a high level of work engagement seems to correlate with better patient outcomes.

Postgraduate nursing training improves clinical outcomes for patients and process indicators. Healthcare organizations management should value workplace well-being of their Advanced Practice Nurses.