Rapid Expansion of the Healing Emotional Lives of Peers Program During COVID-19: A Second Victim Peer Support Program for Healthcare Professionals.

OBJECTIVES: In 2018, the Healing Emotional Lives of Peers (HELP) Program was implemented at Mayo Clinic Rochester to guide healthcare professionals (HCPs) after a second victim experience, such as adverse patient events or medical errors. The HELP program was expanded to all HCPs in response to the anticipated stressors of the COVID-19 pandemic. This article aims to describe the rapid expansion of the peer support program and evaluate the effectiveness of peer support provided to affected colleagues (ACs). METHODS: Quantitative data collected from workshop evaluations, activations, and associated metrics ( TPS Self-Assessment , Encounter Form , and AC Self-Assessment ) were summarized through standard descriptive statistics using SAS version 9.4 software. Open-ended responses were qualitatively analyzed for iterative themes about the HELP program and associated workshops. RESULTS: Between April 2020 and December 2021, 22 virtual workshops to train peer supporters were conducted with 827 attendees. Of these, 464 employees completed the workshop evaluation. A total of 94.2% rated the workshop as excellent or very good. Participants perceived the workshop to be highly effective and felt more prepared to support ACs. Between May 2020 and December 2021, 247 activations were submitted through the HELP Program's intranet Web site and peer support was requested for 649 employees. Of the 268 TPS Self-Assessments , 226 (84.3%) felt that they provided helpful support to an AC. One hundred ACs evaluated support received, with 93% being "extremely" or "very satisfied." Affected colleagues appreciated having a TPS provide judgment-free support. CONCLUSIONS: The HELP Program promotes a culture of safety by helping HCPs process traumatic events. To effectively meet the needs of patients, healthcare organizations need to prioritize the well-being of their employees through interpersonal support.

Improving Resiliency in Healthcare Employees.

OBJECTIVES: The high prevalence of stress at the workplace has been well documented; however, few studies have investigated the efficacy of worksite resiliency programs. Therefore, the objec- tive of this project was to examine the impact of a worksite resilience training program on improving resiliency and health behaviors in healthcare employees. METHODS: Between 2012 and 2016, 137 adult wellness center members of a healthcare institution participating in a single-arm cohort study of a 12-week resiliency training program were assessed at baseline, end of intervention, and at 3-month follow-up. RESULTS: Statistically significant (p ≤ .01) improvements were seen at the end of the intervention and extending to 3 months follow-up for resiliency, perceived stress, anxiety level, quality of life, and health behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: These results support the premise that worksite programs designed to improve resiliency in healthcare employees have efficacy in improving resiliency, quality of life and health behaviors. Given the importance of stress and burnout in healthcare employees, future randomized studies are warranted to determine more clearly the impacts of this type of resiliency intervention for improving the wellness of healthcare workers.

A Worksite Wellness Intervention: Improving Happiness, Life Satisfaction, and Gratitude in Health Care Workers.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of a 12-week Stress Management and Resilience Training (SMART) program on happiness, life satisfaction, gratitude, mindfulness, spirituality, and stress in health care workers. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: Participants were members of an employee wellness center at an academic health care center. Participants were enrolled as cohorts of 12 to 18 individuals and received the intervention at an employee wellness center from February 19, 2013, to February 27, 2017. The study was designed as a prospective, nonrandomized, single-arm clinical trial that included a 3-month in-person SMART program (defined as the intervention), with an additional 3-month postintervention follow-up period (6 months total). Outcomes were assessed at baseline (T0), end of intervention (T3), and after the postintervention follow-up period (T6) and included Subjective Happiness Survey, Satisfaction with Life Scale, Gratitude Scale, Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy - Spiritual Well-Being, and Perceived Stress Scale. RESULTS: Of the 110 participants who enrolled and provided consent, 98 participants (89%) completed the T0 and T3 assessments and 85 participants (77%) completed the T0, T3, and T6 assessments. On comparing the T0 and T6 responses, we observed statistically significant improvements (P<.001) in all the domains studied: subjective happiness (baseline average, 4.6; T6 average, 5.5; average difference, 0.9; 95% CI, 0.6-1.0), life satisfaction (baseline average, 22.8; T6 average, 27.5; average difference, 4.7; 95% CI, 3.6-5.9); gratitude (baseline average, 35.8; T6 average, 39.3; average difference, 3.5; 95% CI, 2.6-4.5), mindfulness (baseline average, 3.5; T6 average, 4.2; average difference, 0.7; 95% CI, 0.6-0.9), Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy - Spiritual Well-Being (baseline average, 29.9; T6 average, 37.4; average difference, 7.5; 95% CI, 6.0-9.2), and percentage of people reporting high stress (baseline, 97.6%; T6, 67.1%). Similar results were observed when comparing the T0 and T3 responses. CONCLUSION: In health care workers, training in the SMART program was associated with statistically significant improvements in happiness, satisfaction with life, gratitude, mindfulness, spirituality, and stress (P<.001). Given the importance of stress in the workplace, larger randomized trials and broader dissemination of the program in health care workers is warranted.

The integration of studio cycling into a worksite stress management programme.

High stress is a prevalent problem in the worksite. To reduce stress, improve productivity, reduce absenteeism, and lower healthcare costs, many companies offer exercise classes or stress management programmes. Although physical activity is an important component of stress management, few worksites have integrated physical activity into their comprehensive stress reduction programmes. The purpose of this single-arm pilot project was to examine the potential effectiveness of an integrated exercise (studio cycling) and cognitive-behavioural stress management programme. Eighty-four adults, 75% female, mostly aged 40+ years, participated in an integrated 12-week cycling studio and cognitive-behavioural stress management programme. Participants experienced a significant and clinically meaningful reduction on the Perceived Stress Scale (p < 0.01), rating of current stress level and confidence to manage stress at the programme's end and at a 1-month follow-up. Participants also reported having significantly improved overall health, improved nutritional habits, higher physical activity level, greater confidence in their ability to follow a healthy diet, higher spiritual well-being, improved sleep, receiving more support for maintaining healthy living and improved quality of life at the completion of the 12-week programme and 1-month follow-up. These findings provide further support for an integrated exercise and stress management programme.