Amanda Richardson ’24, a graduate of the DNP/PMHNP program, won first place for her student poster at the American Psychiatric Nurses Association Conference in Louisville, Kentucky. Her poster, which focuses on assessing burnout and work satisfaction levels in unlicensed direct care workers at a youth residential treatment center, was inspired by her clinical and research experiences at Regis.
Richardson is originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota and attended Winona State University where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) in 2007. Her DNP project, which served as the foundation for her award-winning poster, used a convergent mixed-method design to compare baseline survey scores with phenomenological focus group discussions on burnout and work satisfaction. Richardson’s research included an analysis of open-ended questions that explored both the barriers and facilitators to job satisfaction, and she skillfully compared these findings to the survey results.
These results were used to form comprehensive burnout reduction interventions at the youth residential treatment center. The proposed solutions offer a clear path for improving work conditions and are consequential for the unlicensed direct care workers. This ultimately strengthens the quality of care provided to these vulnerable youth populations. Richardson’s poster achievement highlights efforts to address systemic issues in mental health care and her work promises to be a valuable resource for stakeholders at residential treatment centers.