Ashley Yvonne Babb

East Tennessee State University

130 Quail Ridge Road
Johnson City, TN 37601
(423) 833-8194
09/07/2019

Phil Roe, M.D.

U.S. Representative 1st District of Tennessee
205 Revere Street
Kingsport, TN 37660

Dear Phil Roe, M.D.:

Stress in the workplace for a nurse can be the contributing factor to the satisfaction of his or her
personal life, the monetary resources of the organization, and the overall quality of care for
patients (American Nurses Association, n.d.). This seemingly simple factor can play a part in
nursing retention rates, and overall, can impact facilities on the long-term spectrum (ANA, n.d.).
According to Duffield, Roche, Homer, Buchan, and Dimitrelis (2019), turnover rates in the U.S.
have been reported at 26.8% alone, and costs are estimated at $20,561 to $48,790 for each nurse
in the U.S., New Zealand, Canada, and Australia (Chesak, Cutshall, Bowe, Montanari, &
Bhagra, 2019).

As a nursing student, I am writing in the hopes that you will support the implementation of
healthcare-related stress research facilities in each county of the first district of Tennessee.

For a healthcare facility to succeed, it is crucial to take into consideration the money that is being
lost, including turnover rates, and also, the patient care that is being put forth by the nurses
(Chesak et al., 2019). According to Elfering, Semmer, and Grebner (2006), stress can lead to
mistakes, such as medication errors, mistakes in documentation, and delays in giving patient care
(Chesak et al., 2019). Furthermore, it has been demonstrated through research and other various
studies that there is a need for longer-term studies related to stress management for nurses
(Chesak et al., 2019); therefore, the establishment of long-term facilities in Tennessee would
allow for the collection of data and the delivering of care and interventions to nurses in need.

By implementing this act, Tennessee would provide a nearby facility for each county of the
residents of the first district and would focus on implementing a routine of care for working
nurses. A local establishment would require nursing personnel to complete a questionnaire with
quantitative results before beginning the program. The questionnaire would be comprised of
twenty questions, with answers ranging from zero to ten on stress levels and comfort in each
aspect of their job. Once completed, the nurse would be required to attend a seminar every two
Phil Roe, M.D.
09/07/2019
Page 2

months and fill out a new survey regarding stress-relieving techniques. The nurse would also
meet with an appointed research team and/or physician or therapist to discuss concerns they
might have.

By completing the questionnaire every two months, this information would serve as a long-term
research study for the staff working at each county’s appointed stress research center; also, by
attending the seminars and counseling sessions, the nurse is actively involved in stress-reducing
techniques as a part of ongoing personal development throughout his or her career. Thus,
information is provided to the research community, and feedback is received from the nurses
about their stress levels every two months. This information could be used to improve the
workplace, make changes to relieve stress, and promote job retention and satisfaction.

By passing a district-wide act to implement stress research facilities, not only would more money
be given back to the hospitals and other facilities, the nursing staff in the district would be
provided with resources to aid their personal wellbeing. I respectfully request that you consider
this healthcare-related stress research facility implementation, at your convenience.

I would personally like to thank you for reading over my suggestions and look forward to your
reply in the future.

Sincerely,

Ashley Yvonne Babb

Ashley Yvonne Babb

130 Quail Ridge Road
Johnson City, TN 37601
(423) 833-8194
Phil Roe, M.D.
09/07/2019
Page 3

References

American Nurses Association. (n.d.). Combating stress. Retrieved from

https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/work-environment/health-

safety/combating-stress/

Chesak, S. S., Cutshall, S. M., Bowe, C. L., Montanari, K. M., & Bhagra, A. (2019). Stress

management interventions for nurses: Critical literature review. Journal of Holistic

Nursing, 37(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/0898010119842693