Student Name

Capella University

NURS-FPX6080 MSN Practicum: Professionalism in Person-Centered Care and the Workplace Environment

Professor Name

Submission Date

Workplace Environment Presentation

Slide 1:

Hi, greetings everyone I’m ________, and this is my assessment of the workplace environment, as well as my reflections of my experiences as an advanced practice nurse when leading change.

Slide 2:

The health and well-being of the workplace impact the performance of nurses, the retention of nurses, and the overall quality of the nursing care that is delivered to patients. It is the role of the advanced practice nurse to develop and design the environment that is healthy, supportive, and professional so that nurses can thrive. This paper will evaluate the practicum site’s workplace environment and reflect on my leadership to develop positive and impactful change. Cognitive flexibility is a paramount executive function that is embedded in nursing leadership as described by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2021). Through my practicum experience and supporting literature, I will evaluate the workplace environment and the predominant leadership behaviors that are exercised at the practicum site.

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Evaluating Workplace Environment: Health and Well-Being of Self and Colleagues

Assessing the work environment reveals the extent to which the organization supports staff members in achieving and/or maintaining their physical and mental wellness. In my practicum, a primary care clinic, the environment was assessed through observation, conversations with staff, and review of the clinic’s wellness plan. The clinic demonstrated a number of positive supportive characteristics for staff, such as flexible work schedules, mental health EAPs, and a supportive and friendly work team. Wu et al. (2023) found that a high level of social support within a work team, along with effective and open line communication and constructive feedback from management, reduces nurse burnout and enhances overall job satisfaction. An in-depth analysis of the work environment is the first step to establishing a healthy and sustainable practice for nursing.

Understanding an organization’s culture is important to both the workplace and the staff, as they both need to understand the weaknesses and strengths of the organization. Employees expressed that job-related stress was caused by large patient numbers and insufficient administrative staff. Additionally, there was insufficient time to complete documentation during the work shift. The types of stress were comparable to the issues that are prevalent at the national level in the primary care nursing stress environment. Almgadawi et al. (2025) believe that high service demand and a lack of administrative support lead to occupational stress and a higher turnover of advanced practice nurses. Recognizing the strengths and weaknesses of a workplace provides leaders with the capability of designing appropriate, contemporary, and evidence-based solutions to enhance the welfare of staff.

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Data and Evaluation Techniques Used

The practicum site employs both qualitative and quantitative methods for assessing employee health and wellness, including the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), which is a validated and reliable tool for assessing the emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and feelings of professional accomplishment among nurses in the practicum site. In addition, qualitative data were obtained through focus group sessions with colleagues on their stressors, the dynamics of the team, and the level of support that they perceive the organization provides. As indicated by Stander et al. (2022), the assessment of a workplace through different approaches is more comprehensive and meaningful than the assessment through a single approach. Through these varied methods of evaluation, the employee experience of the entire staff in the workplace will be reflected in all its complexities.

To the extent that both qualitative (employee discussions) and quantitative (workplace health indicators, including turnover, absenteeism, and satisfaction) data were integrated, trends of the workplace health were also taken into account. In addition to the improved understanding of workplace conditions, the combined impact of the two measures on the overall workplace conditions was represented. Gutierrez et al. (2025) support the framework of assessing workplace conditions through integrated, varied sources of data (triangulation). For an effective and ongoing workplace health improvement initiative, a systematic and varied source evaluation approach is essential.

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Proposing Strategies for Self-Care, Personal Health, and Well-Being

To create a workplace that fosters positive health both physically and mentally, and also achieve a healthy balance between work and personal life, employees must devise strategies with evidence to support the initiatives of the organization. One such strategy operates in a clinical setting focused on healthcare professionals and incorporates the provision of an evidence-based, structured workplace Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program. This can also serve as a good opportunity to start the process of MBSR integration into daily huddles/meetings in the form of a brief mindfulness check-in that employees practice before the start of each shift. According to the research done by Pavithrakshmi et al. in 2026, mindfulness-based strategies help the nursing workforce reduce burnout and anxiety and improve compassion toward patients in stressful clinical environments. When you opt to use research and evidence-based strategies to support the health and wellness of your employees, just as you would with any other benefit (such as a financial benefit), you demonstrate your commitment to the employees and bolster their resiliency.

The use of peer support and debriefing programs helps improve psychological and emotional resilience in nursing staff. Networks of peer support offer nursing staff a secure space in which to speak about difficult clinical scenarios. Through the implementation of regular debriefs around difficult patient scenarios, nursing staff can cultivate a clinical space in which asking for support and help is accepted and normal. The combination of peer support and structured debriefing has been shown to reduce the moral distress and anxiety of professional nursing staff while promoting their emotional well-being (Fantus et al., 2024). A culture of peer-to-peer support and active self-care among all staff will help create a resilient, engaged, and highly functional nursing workforce.

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Cognitive Flexibility in Leading Change within Complex Environments

Cognitive flexibility refers to the ability to adjust your problem-solving style to fit the demands of dynamic and large-scale clinical or organizational challenges. An excellent example of this from my practicum is when we had to make last-minute adjustments to our plans to deliver direct patient care due to staffing shortages. Instead of assigning the projects in the same way to the team, we adjusted the assignments based on the nurses’ competencies and the needs of the patients. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2021) considers cognitive flexibility a key leadership trait in nurses, as it equips them with the ability to create solutions in the face of the uncertainties and complexities that characterize the profession. Cognitive flexibility will enhance the trust and confidence that the nursing team has in one another during the crisis, as well as model the adaptive leadership that is expected from advanced practice nurses.

This nurse leader demonstrated cognitive flexibility, and as a result, disruption to workflow was minimal, staff morale was kept high, and some continuity in the care of patients was enacted. Sott and Bender (2025) indicate that leaders who maintain a flexible disposition and can promptly alter their viewpoints will facilitate the continued productivity of their members when faced with changes to an organization. Cognitive flexibility, however, extends beyond the individual and becomes an asset to the organization as it enhances the nurse’s ability to render care that is safe and effective.

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Leading Others through Change in Professional Environments

One of the most difficult and most rewarding aspects of being an Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) in any clinical setting is having to lead other professionals through an ever-changing system. An example of this type of leadership was when I moved my team to the standardized patient handoff communication using the SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation) Protocol. This leadership role meant that I had to prepare staff for the upcoming changes, and different staff expressed different levels of readiness to accept the changes. I resolved this resistance by using as many channels of communication as possible, by offering to coach, and by explaining how the change would positively affect patient safety. McDermott et al (2022) state that in healthcare, change initiatives that utilize clear steps and include staff, while demonstrating visible commitment from leadership, result in better uptake. I believe that change created by leadership that is clear, purposeful, and empathic in nature can shift initial resistance to change to enthusiasm, whereby staff feel purposeful and accountable for the change.

Insights gained from leading change will be beneficial for future challenges nursing practice may face when leading change. One lesson learned from the implementation of SBAR was to involve staff at the planning stage of the project to help gain their support and reduce their concerns regarding the project. The lesson implementation of the SBAR also taught the importance of addressing the staff’s concerns during the project, providing feedback on the progress, and acknowledging the mini successes along the way. Simmons and Yawson (2022) state that when leading change, the approach and the greater participative and inclusive involvement of the staff and other stakeholders in the change process create sustained improvements in practice and greater changes in team interaction at the workplace. The lessons from leading change within the SBAR framework have been instrumental to the focus of leading change in the area of collaborative and person-centered care within nursing practice.

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Critiquing Personal Approaches to Leading Change and Improvement

The ability to analyze your own approaches to leading change is one way of describing the level of commitment you have toward the personal advancement that contributes to the professional growth of others and the organization as a whole. For instance, at my practicum site, combining the two quality improvement (QI) strategies, Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model and the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) Cycle, proved useful. For the SBAR Protocol Transition project, I applied both strategies to facilitate the positive change I aimed to achieve within the organization’s culture. According to Kuffuor et al. (2024), Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model is applicable to the healthcare sector, as demonstrated by his success in leading large-scale change by overcoming cultural and hierarchical stubbornness and resistance. In nursing, the application of appropriate frameworks of QI is imperative, for it endorses the use of an evidence-based approach to formal, systematic, and structured QI activities.

Analyzing the frameworks of Kotter’s model and the PDSA cycle should involve evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of each. Kotter’s Model 8-Step is Linear and outlines a more definitive pathway from the inception of change to the deepening of its roots into the organizational culture. This makes it an excellent model for large-scale organizational change. However, the model can seem too restrictive and too gradual for fast-paced clinical environments. The PDSA cycle, however, is quite the opposite. It is highly adaptable and is intended for rapid and repeatable testing of small changes, and can tackle multiple iterations. Its biggest limitation is the same as the rest of the quality improvement models, and that is the lack of conceptual clarity on how to implement substantial and systemic change at the organizational level. In reference to McNamara et al. (2025), the integration of the iterative quality improvement models with the change frameworks and methodologies will offer the richest possible context in the healthcare improvement initiatives. A critical yet reflective assessment of the varied models will provide ample opportunity for developing more advanced, adaptable, and successful leadership strategies in the ongoing improvement and change processes.

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Conclusion

This project described the workplace environment at the practicum site and included the author’s critical reflection on the practicum student’s leadership to drive change in the clinical environment. The assessment of the practicum clinical environment included examples of positive elements and areas for growth regarding the well-being of staff, the communication, and the changing processes of the team. Examples of evidence-based approaches to improve the workplace and professional resilience (e.g., mindfulness, peer support, and quality improvement) were suggested to enhance these positive elements. The practicum student leader’s style of thinking and changing about leadership will be important to the development of the identity and the influence of the practice of the advanced practice nurse.