Student-Led Stress Reduction Support Groups: A Qualitative Program Evaluation.

BACKGROUND: Burnout and attrition in nursing have been accelerated by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Nursing students experience greater stress than non-nursing students but often lack adequate institutional support to build resiliency. Support groups are an effective strategy for processing stress that are underused in nursing education. An innovative online stress impact course was developed at a college of nursing to address students' stress during the pandemic. The course culminated in a voluntary virtual support group led by a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner graduate student. The aim of this qualitative program evaluation was to determine how graduate nursing students experienced the stress support group. METHOD: This study used qualitative exploratory analysis of support group reflections from 47 graduate nursing students. RESULTS: Four themes emerged: (1) Making Positive Connections; (2) Leveraging Skills to Manage Stress; (3) Beneficial; and (4) Facing Trauma. CONCLUSION: Graduate student-led support groups are a feasible and effective strategy to mitigate stress and improve nursing student resiliency. [J Nurs Educ. 2023;62(12):711-715.].

Past the Pandemic: a virtual intervention supporting the well-being of healthcare workers through the COVID-19 pandemic.

To decrease burnout and improve mental health and resiliency among doctors, nurses, and hospital staff during the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Colorado partnered with ECHO Colorado to offer the state's healthcare workforce an interactive, psychoeducational, and online intervention that encouraged connection and support. The series utilized the Stress Continuum Model as its underlying conceptual framework. Between July 2020 and February 2022, 495 healthcare workers in Colorado participated in the series across eight cohorts. One-way repeated measures ANOVAs were performed to test for differences in pretest and posttest scores on series' objectives. Healthcare workers showed significant improvement from pretest to posttest in (1) knowing when and how to obtain mental health resources, F(1, 111) = 46.497, p < 0.001, (2) recognizing of the importance of being socially connected in managing COVID-related stress, F(1, 123) = 111.159, p < 0.001, (3) managing worries, F(1, 123) = 94.941, p < 0.001, (4) feeling prepared to manage stressors related to the pandemic, F(1, 111) = 100.275, p < 0.001, (5) feeling capable in dealing with challenges that occur daily, F(1, 111) = 87.928, p < 0.001, and (6) understanding the Stress Continuum Model F(1, 123) = 271.049, p < 0.001. This virtual series showed efficacy in improving the well-being of healthcare workers during a pandemic and could serve as a model for mental health support for healthcare workers in other emergency response scenarios.

Stress Impact and Care for COVID-19: Pilot Education and Support Course Decreases Burnout Among Nursing Students.

BACKGROUND: Nurses and nursing students have been at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19, often working in conditions that produce stress injuries and burnout. Early recognition and mitigation of stress and emotional trauma help prevent burnout. AIMS: To evaluate the effectiveness of an online 8-hour stress awareness course and associated 1-hour support group in reducing stress and burnout among nursing students. METHODS: We conducted a program evaluation for an online stress awareness pilot course offered to nursing students. The course, and associated support groups led by trained psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner students, included a common language for talking about stress, screening tools for recognizing stress injuries, and strategies for improving self-care. Students completed pre- and post-course surveys. Outcome measures included changes on course learning objectives, level of burnout, health-related locus of control, and experiences of stress and coping. RESULTS: Nursing students (n = 360) enrolled in the course, and 224 (62%) completed pre- and post-course surveys. Sixty percent rated the course excellent or very good. Depression Anxiety and Stress Scales and Impact of Event Scale Revised scores were within established normal ranges. There was a significant increase in all nine course learning objectives (p < .001) and decreased signs of stress (p < .001). Students' level of burnout decreased by odds ratio = 0.58 (95% CI: [0.4, 0.9], p < .006). CONCLUSIONS: Nursing leaders can use psychoeducational strategies to mitigate the impact of stress, build confidence, and support nursing students entering the workforce during these unprecedented times.

Psychological Care Augmented by Telemedicine after a Polar Bear Encounter at an Arctic Research Station: A Case Report.

Background: Psychologically stressful events can be particularly challenging in the wilderness or extreme environments due to a lack of immediate medical or psychological support. Telemedicine consultations may provide a means to supply medical providers in austere environments with expertise when confronted with these situations. Methods: In this study, we detail a case of psychological care imparted to residents at a remote, arctic research station after they encountered a polar bear. The health care provider at the camp was not a dedicated mental health professional but was able to deliver psychological care with assistance from a trained provider through use of telemedicine. We provide a brief overview of the evidence behind psychological first aid and incident support sessions for the treatment of stress injuries. We also review the evidence for telemedicine for psychological care in wilderness situations and describe its use in this scenario. Results: All station residents were able to resume regular arctic activities. Resident feedback was that the sessions were advantageous. Conclusions: We anticipate the need for psychological care in austere situations to increase in the future, and further training in this field and the advancement of telemedicine consultation will be of benefit to wilderness providers.