The UNMC College of Nursing Health Resources and Services Administration team is seeing strides in the grant’s goal to deliver interventions and resources to address and reduce burnout and improve health in nursing students and registered nurses.
The HRSA team identified a need for a broader nursing career focus on addressing wellness, burnout and behavioral health along a trainee-to-practice continuum.
The study uses a socio-ecological lens so the burden does not rest solely on individuals or systems, thus requiring a collaborative investment. The grant team includes faculty and staff at the UNMC College of Nursing, College of Medicine, College of Public Health, and partnerships with the Nebraska Center for Nursing and Nebraska Board of Nursing.
The HRSA grant has three targeted outcomes.
The first is to implement the Wellness: How One Lives Effectively (WHOLE) program. Developed by UNMC psychiatrists and psychologists for incoming nursing students, WHOLE teaches skills to enhance wellness and reduce the harmful effects of chronic stress.
Last year, the team completed three cohorts of the WHOLE program involving more than 700 students across all five campuses. The team also implemented a student success software platform to support students, manage program progress and capture data to improve student success, as well as wellness and study rooms.
Jordan Henkel, UNMC College of Nursing academic success coordinator, said WHOLE is an invaluable asset because it gives students skills to be mindful of themselves.
“The WHOLE program is an amazing tool we have used for incoming nursing students to learn about wellness, build comradery with their cohort, and feel like they have solutions to minimize stress or know what to do when stress gets too big to carry,” she said. “I truly believe this program sets incoming students up for success.”
The second aim was to deliver wellness programming nationwide to nurses and health professionals with free continuing education. The Heal the Healer series attracted more than 450 participants. In addition, more than 200 nurses and 25 faculty and staff members were certified in mental health first-aid training.
Aim three implemented psychological first aid and WHOLE programs via the ECHO Model of “all teach, all learn,” reaching more than 80 nurses and health professionals from 20-plus facilities.
Through the grant, the team also collaborated with the Nebraska Board of Nursing to deliver the state’s Critical Incident Stress Management programs.
Alyson Hanish, PhD, HRSA program director, said she has been impressed with the team’s tenacity in setting and achieving its goals.
“The HRSA grant has more than 25 faculty and staff devoted to burnout, well-being and retention of our health workforce. The grant has been beautiful chaos, and I’m proud of our team,” she said.