The University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) Center for Biosecurity, Biopreparedness, and Emerging Infectious Disease in the College of Public Health, in partnership with the UNMC College of Nursing, Nebraska Center for Nursing, Nebraska Board of Nursing, and the Nebraska Hospital Association, have launched a 13-week pilot project designed to improve wellness, retention, and wellbeing for registered nurses (RNs) and advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs).
The purpose of the ECHO Psychological First Aid (PFA) pilot project is to deliver wellness-based interventions and resources to reduce burnout and mental health conditions among nursing staff, registered nurses, and advanced practice registered nurses, who are working in rural or underserved areas across Nebraska. This initiative has become increasingly important due to the rising number of nursing shortages, burnout, and mental health disorders among Nebraska nurses. Utilizing the ECHO Model™, nurses will use interactive video technology to facilitate case-based learning and have access to mentorship that will help healthcare workers gain the expertise required to provide needed services.
The project launched on July 26, 2022 and will continue bi-weekly through November 1, 2022. The ECHO sessions will use the Psychological First Aid online course offered by Johns Hopkins to train critical access hospital staff using experiential learning strategies to generate discussion about workplace implementation. Objectives for the ECHO PFA sessions include:
1. Discuss strategies to reduce burnout and turnover amidst strain of the COVID-19 pandemic and other stressful circumstances creating compassion fatigue.
2. Articulate how to employ a framework for using psychological first aid with patients, their families, and healthcare professionals in various settings.
3. Describe what techniques and tools can be used to help overcome distress and dysfunction as derived from case-based approaches involving reflective listening, prioritization, referrals, and other supportive interventions.
The project is supported by the Nebraska Collaborative Investment in Nurses: Resiliency, Retention, & Well-being with an expanded program planned for early 2023. The project is funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to bring interventions and resources to critical access hospitals across the state. Dr. Alyson Hanish, program director of the HRSA grant states: “Our focus is on rural and medically underserved areas across Nebraska, as there is a gap in mental health resources. As we implement our programs, we will continue to seek input from nurses for improvement, as we roll them out across the state. Our entire team is committed to investing in the wellness of Nebraska nurses”.
If you are interested in signing up for the upcoming ECHO program for critical access hospitals launching in early 2023, please contact krista.brown@unmc.edu.
For more information about the UNMC College of Public Health ECHO program, please visit https://www.unmc.edu/publichealth/centers/cbbeid/Project_ECHO/index.html. To learn more about the Nebraska Collaborative Investment in Nurses: Resiliency, Retention, & Well-being Project, visit https://www.unmc.edu/nursing/educational-programs/current-grants-hrsa/hrsa-ne-collaborative.html.
