Abstract
Current literature supports the positive impact creating a culture of wellness has in promoting individual and organizational wellbeing. Faculty and institutions of higher learning have a responsibility to create a physically and psychologically safe learning environment. Modeling effective ways for students to prioritize their mental health and wellness within the context of the ten dimensions of wellness is paramount. The National Wellness Action Alliance (NWAA) Workgroup recognized and responded to the need to provide faculty with valuable strategies to promote wellness among health sciences students that can be implemented by individual faculty members as well as serve as a springboard for college and campus-wide initiatives. Thus, the Faculty Toolkit: Strategies to Support Well-Being for Health Sciences Students was created with the aims of identifying 1) the impact of well-being initiatives on student learning and academic outcomes, 2) characteristics of organizational cultures that facilitate student wellness and success, 3) programmatic and curricular strategies that can be employed to support student wellness and build resilience, and 4) teaching strategies that can be implemented in learning environments to improve student well-being and subsequent success. Guiding Principles for development of this toolkit include 1) easily accessible to faculty, with user-friendly, practical tips, 2) identifies priority considerations for supporting well-being of students, 3) includes strategies for online, on campus, clinical and didactic courses, 4) incorporates leadership strategies to impact organizational culture. Key strategies to integrate into didactic and clinical courses were developed and presented within the Toolkit to create and nurture a culture of wellness within academia. Providing faculty and students with tools to gauge and improve their wellness may serve as a mediating factor in the development of future burnout which is prevalent among helping professions. This toolkit was developed to be a valuable faculty resource inclusive of instruments for faculty and students to measure their personal wellness and well-being. Additionally, resources for future research on this important topic was included.
Notes
References:
Amaya, M., Donegan, T., Conner, D., Edwards, J., & Gipson, C. (2019). Creating a culture of wellness: A call to action for higher education, igniting change in academic institutions. Building Healthy Academic Communities Journal, 3(2), 27-40. https://doi.org/10.18061/bhac.v3i2.7117
Melnyk, B. M., Hsieh, A. P., Tan, A., Teall, A. M., Weberg, D., Jun, J., Gawlik, K., & Hoying, J. (2022). Associations among nurses' mental/physical health, lifestyle behaviors, shift length, and workplace wellness support during COVID-19: Important implications for health care systems. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 46(1), 5–18. www.doi.org/10.1097/NAQ.0000000000000499
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine [NAM]. (2019). Taking Action against Clinician Burnout: A Systems Approach to Professional Well-Being. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. www.doi.org/10.17226/25521
Søvold, L. E., Naslund, J. A., Kousoulis, A. A., Saxena, S., Qoronfleh, M. W., Grobler, C., & Münter, L. (2021). Prioritizing the Mental Health and Well-Being of Healthcare Workers: An Urgent Global Public Health Priority. Frontiers in Public Health, 9, 679397. www.doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.679397
Wei, H., Dorn, A., Hutto, H., Webb Corbett, R., Haberstroh, A., & Larson, K. (2021). Impacts of nursing student burnout on psychological well-being and academic achievement. Journal of Nursing Education, 60(7), 369-376.www.doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20210616-02
Sigma Membership
Lambda Delta
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Other
Keywords:
Organizational Culture, Wellness, Occupational Health, Psychological Well-Being, Learning Environment, Psychological Safety, Faculty, Colleges and Universities, Health Occupations Students
Recommended Citation
Sciarra, Erica and Teall, Alice M., "Caring for Future Caregivers: Using the Faculty Toolkit of Teaching Strategies to Support Well-Being for Health Sciences Students" (2026). Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE). 133.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/chwe/2024/presentations_2024/133
Conference Name
Creating Healthy Work Environments
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Washington, DC, USA
Conference Year
2024
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2026-03-05
Caring for Future Caregivers: Using the Faculty Toolkit of Teaching Strategies to Support Well-Being for Health Sciences Students
Washington, DC, USA
Current literature supports the positive impact creating a culture of wellness has in promoting individual and organizational wellbeing. Faculty and institutions of higher learning have a responsibility to create a physically and psychologically safe learning environment. Modeling effective ways for students to prioritize their mental health and wellness within the context of the ten dimensions of wellness is paramount. The National Wellness Action Alliance (NWAA) Workgroup recognized and responded to the need to provide faculty with valuable strategies to promote wellness among health sciences students that can be implemented by individual faculty members as well as serve as a springboard for college and campus-wide initiatives. Thus, the Faculty Toolkit: Strategies to Support Well-Being for Health Sciences Students was created with the aims of identifying 1) the impact of well-being initiatives on student learning and academic outcomes, 2) characteristics of organizational cultures that facilitate student wellness and success, 3) programmatic and curricular strategies that can be employed to support student wellness and build resilience, and 4) teaching strategies that can be implemented in learning environments to improve student well-being and subsequent success. Guiding Principles for development of this toolkit include 1) easily accessible to faculty, with user-friendly, practical tips, 2) identifies priority considerations for supporting well-being of students, 3) includes strategies for online, on campus, clinical and didactic courses, 4) incorporates leadership strategies to impact organizational culture. Key strategies to integrate into didactic and clinical courses were developed and presented within the Toolkit to create and nurture a culture of wellness within academia. Providing faculty and students with tools to gauge and improve their wellness may serve as a mediating factor in the development of future burnout which is prevalent among helping professions. This toolkit was developed to be a valuable faculty resource inclusive of instruments for faculty and students to measure their personal wellness and well-being. Additionally, resources for future research on this important topic was included.
Description
The National Wellness Action Alliance Workgroup recognized the need to provide faculty with strategies to promote wellness among health sciences students that can be implemented and serve as a springboard for college and campus-wide initiatives. Thus, the Faculty Toolkit: Strategies to Support Well-Being for Health Sciences Students was created.