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.
“It reduces turnover, it enhances well-being, it connects people back to their purpose,” said Hayakawa.
A survey-based study in a medical journal published by the American Medical Association found health care worker burnout has begun to decrease following the COVID-19 pandemic but remains higher than pre-pandemic levels. A 2025 survey of more than 12,000 nurses by health care employment agency AMN Healthcare found 58% felt burn out most days.
Hayakawa noted that since Dear Hospital kicked off, 94% of participants say they feel more connected to colleagues and 91% say it deepened their connection to the hospital’s values.
“It all boils down to human connection and the foundation of health care is really that. And sometimes we lose sight of that.” she says. “As part of broader workforce engagement efforts, nurse turnover declined from 21% to 13%. Dear Hospital is just one of the initiatives that has contributed to this reduction in nurse turnover.”
Alex Gash, Rady Children’s Health OC nurse and nurse educator, took part in a recent Dear Hospital workshop. Participants are asked to pick three words from a list that resonate with their story. She chose: compassions, service and excellence and picked the quote: Attitude is everything for her story.
“It’s how you present yourself each day and the attitude that you bring with you and what an impact it makes not only in others’ lives, but in your life as well,” she said.
Gash added that it’s something she carries with her everyday on the job — one that can be tough.
“It’s a job that no one really understands unless you’re in it,” she said. “And you really need coping skills to be able to continue to do that. And put your best foot forward every day to serve those families with excellence, with compassion.”
Participants write short stories about something that resonated with them. They also take a photo with their quote written somewhere on their body. Gash said that after taking part in the workshop, she has more tools to deal with all that comes with caring for the sick, adding that Dear Hospital has inspired her to reflect more on her experiences.
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