Date of Conferral
10-7-2026
Date of Award
October 2026
Degree
Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)
School
Management
Advisor
Kim Critchlow
Abstract
Nurse burnout disrupts retention, weakens leadership continuity, increases replacement costs, and threatens the quality and consistency of patient care. Healthcare leaders are concerned because staffing shortages and unmanageable nurse workloads contribute to burnout and workforce instability. Grounded in job demands-resources theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry research project was to identify and explore effective strategies used by healthcare leaders to reduce nurse burnout and improve retention and patient care. The participants were 10 healthcare leaders who effectively reduced nurse burnout. Data were collected by conducting semi-structured interviews and reviewing secondary data from publicly available sources. Thematic analysis yielded five themes: (a) supportive leadership and employee engagement, (b) workload management and adequate staffing, (c) retention strategies and organizational incentives, (d) self-care, mentorship, and flexible scheduling, and (e) organizational and environmental challenges. A key recommendation is for healthcare leaders to adopt a system of supportive leadership, organizational resources, workload management, and employee-centered practices. The implications for positive social change include the potential for healthcare leaders to improve nurse retention, which may also benefit communities by reducing disruptions in care, preserving experienced clinical knowledge, and supporting continuity of patient-provider relationships.
Recommended Citation
Nnah, Obinna, "Nurse Burnout and Nurse High Turnover Rate" (2026). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 20859.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/20859
