Abstract
The phenomenon of burn-out in nurses is not new, however, it has been exacerbated and brought to the forefront of our attention since the COVID pandemic. Nursing shortages exacerbate the problem (National Council of State Boards of Nursing, 2023). The increased need for nurses due to many leaving the workforce and the aging of the population has increased enrollment pressure on schools of nursing, and therefore their faculty and staff. Nursing faculty also have stressful roles, that include balancing multiple expectations of teaching, scholarship, research and service. The above pressure as well as an ongoing faculty shortage (also exacerbated by the pandemic) has led to nurse faculty burnout (AACN, 2022; Zangaro et al., 2023). Staff who are employed by nursing programs are also under similar pressures and deal with both faculty and students who may be under stress. Unfortunately, no research has been published on nursing program staff burnout or stress in their roles.
Moderate/high levels of exhaustion (85.5%), disengagement (84.9%) and burnout at 85.2% were reported in 2023 (AACN). There is a negative relationship between a supportive workplace culture and burnout (Jarosinski et al, 2021). Positive workplace culture that promotes well-being activities may prevent/or reduce burnout (Boamah, 2022).
There have been 2 recent systematic reviews on the effectiveness of using yoga as an intervention to manage stress in healthcare workers (Cocchiara et al., 2019; Ciezar-Andersen, Hayden & King-Shier, 2021). Both demonstrated that despite the heterogeneity of yoga style, dose and intensity, a consistent improvement in stress as well as other emotional and physical experiences occurred. Burnout can be countered by resiliency, the ability to adapt successfully to challenges. Self-care practices are activities or behaviors that promote physical and emotional health.
At this top-ranked nursing school in the southeast, the Institute for Educational Excellence (IEE) was charged with identifying opportunities to improve workplace culture & engagement. Because there was a faculty member who was also a yoga instructor, a yoga offering was developed. The focus was on inclusivity and a “yoga is for everybody” approach. Each session was composed of breath awareness and focused breathing (pranayama), movement (asanas) and meditation. Asanas focused on strength, flexibility, and balance. The program had 15 sessions and each session lasted for 30-35 minutes. As a program of the IEE this was not designed as a research study, but the program was evaluated. Data are limited but provided useful feedback for the future. Attendance ranged from 2-8 at each session and overall, those who attended were extremely satisfied (85%) with the classes and reported that they felt a decrease in their stress levels after each class (100%). The instructor also provided anecdotal evidence on the challenges and facilitators of the program which will be presented in more detail. A discussion of barriers and facilitators, along with a mini yoga session to demonstrate the components of the classes will also be presented.
Notes
Reference list included in attached slide deck.
Sigma Membership
Beta Epsilon
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Other
Keywords:
Yoga, Occupational Stress -- Therapy, Mental Health, Professional Burnout, Nursing Faculty, Academic Staff
Recommended Citation
Waldrop, Julee Briscoe, "Yoga for Stress Relief Program for Nursing Faculty and Staff" (2026). Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE). 93.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/chwe/2024/presentations_2024/93
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
2026-03-03
Yoga for Stress Relief Program for Nursing Faculty and Staff
Washington, DC, USA
The phenomenon of burn-out in nurses is not new, however, it has been exacerbated and brought to the forefront of our attention since the COVID pandemic. Nursing shortages exacerbate the problem (National Council of State Boards of Nursing, 2023). The increased need for nurses due to many leaving the workforce and the aging of the population has increased enrollment pressure on schools of nursing, and therefore their faculty and staff. Nursing faculty also have stressful roles, that include balancing multiple expectations of teaching, scholarship, research and service. The above pressure as well as an ongoing faculty shortage (also exacerbated by the pandemic) has led to nurse faculty burnout (AACN, 2022; Zangaro et al., 2023). Staff who are employed by nursing programs are also under similar pressures and deal with both faculty and students who may be under stress. Unfortunately, no research has been published on nursing program staff burnout or stress in their roles.
Moderate/high levels of exhaustion (85.5%), disengagement (84.9%) and burnout at 85.2% were reported in 2023 (AACN). There is a negative relationship between a supportive workplace culture and burnout (Jarosinski et al, 2021). Positive workplace culture that promotes well-being activities may prevent/or reduce burnout (Boamah, 2022).
There have been 2 recent systematic reviews on the effectiveness of using yoga as an intervention to manage stress in healthcare workers (Cocchiara et al., 2019; Ciezar-Andersen, Hayden & King-Shier, 2021). Both demonstrated that despite the heterogeneity of yoga style, dose and intensity, a consistent improvement in stress as well as other emotional and physical experiences occurred. Burnout can be countered by resiliency, the ability to adapt successfully to challenges. Self-care practices are activities or behaviors that promote physical and emotional health.
At this top-ranked nursing school in the southeast, the Institute for Educational Excellence (IEE) was charged with identifying opportunities to improve workplace culture & engagement. Because there was a faculty member who was also a yoga instructor, a yoga offering was developed. The focus was on inclusivity and a “yoga is for everybody” approach. Each session was composed of breath awareness and focused breathing (pranayama), movement (asanas) and meditation. Asanas focused on strength, flexibility, and balance. The program had 15 sessions and each session lasted for 30-35 minutes. As a program of the IEE this was not designed as a research study, but the program was evaluated. Data are limited but provided useful feedback for the future. Attendance ranged from 2-8 at each session and overall, those who attended were extremely satisfied (85%) with the classes and reported that they felt a decrease in their stress levels after each class (100%). The instructor also provided anecdotal evidence on the challenges and facilitators of the program which will be presented in more detail. A discussion of barriers and facilitators, along with a mini yoga session to demonstrate the components of the classes will also be presented.
Description
Nursing faculty and staff participation in a short yoga class during the workday decreased stress levels. Come see how, and enjoy a mini yoga-based stress relief session too.