Integrated Program to Enhance Professional Identity and Reduce Burnout in Neonatal Nurses

The Fourth Hospital of Shijiazhuang

Status: Completed

Conditions: Professional Burnout

Treatments: Behavioral: Integrated Empowerment and Narrative Nursing Program (I-ENP); Behavioral: Usual Care

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07241000

20260974

Details and patient eligibility

About

This cluster randomized controlled trial evaluates the efficacy of an integrated empowerment and narrative nursing (I-ENP) program compared to usual care for neonatal nurses. The study aims to determine if the 6-month I-ENP, which includes empowerment education and narrative nursing sessions, can enhance professional identity, reduce burnout symptoms, and lower turnover intention among neonatal nurses.

Full description

Neonatal nurses are at high risk for professional burnout and weakened professional identity due to chronic workplace stressors. This study was designed to test a novel, integrated intervention combining empowerment education and narrative nursing practices. Four hospitals (clusters) were randomized to either the intervention or control group. A total of 172 neonatal nurses were included. The intervention group (n=85) participated in a structured 6-month program consisting of four empowerment education modules (covering topics like stress management and communication) and six narrative nursing sessions (involving story sharing and reflective writing). The control group (n=87) received usual care. The primary hypothesis was that the I-ENP group would show significantly greater improvement in professional identity scores compared to the control group at the end of the intervention. Secondary objectives included assessing the program's impact on burnout dimensions (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, personal accomplishment) and turnover intention. Assessments were conducted at baseline, 6 months, and 9 months to evaluate the sustainability of the effects.

Enrollment: 172 patients

Sex: All

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Registered nurses working full-time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) of the participating hospitals.
• At least 1 year of work experience.

Exclusion criteria

• Nurses on long-term leave (e.g., maternity leave).
• Nurses in managerial positions.
• Nurses planning to leave their position during the study period.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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172 participants in 2 patient groups

Integrated Empowerment and Narrative Nursing Program (I-ENP) Group

Experimental group

Description:

Nurses in this group received a 6-month structured program in addition to usual care. The program included four monthly 2-hour empowerment education workshops and six bi-weekly 1.5-hour narrative nursing sessions, delivered in small groups.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Integrated Empowerment and Narrative Nursing Program (I-ENP)

Control Group

Active Comparator group

Description:

Nurses in this group received usual care, which included standard hospital-provided continuing education and access to employee assistance programs, without any additional specific intervention.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Usual Care