ORANGE, Calif. — State data shows nearly 60% of counties in California will face a nursing shortage. By 2033, the state is estimated to be short more than 61,000 nurses, partially due to retention.
But a program called “Dear Hospital” at Rady Children’s Health Orange County is working to reduce health care worker burnout.
The hospital’s director of nursing research and innovation, Jennifer Hayakawa, introduced the program to the hospital in October 2022 after experiencing a similar program called “Dear World” at a national nursing conference. The organization is known for its portraiture and storytelling workshops. She says the storytelling program was reworked to tailor health care workers. She says storytelling can be a powerful tool to help address health care worker burnout…