Do Well-Being Programs Improve Work Environments? Evaluating State-Level Nurse Peer Support Programs
Abstract
Introduction: Well-being programs geared to improve the work environment should be tailored to the individual and organization (Browne & Tie, 2024). The New Jersey Nursing Emotional Well-Being Institute (NJ-NEW) launched Stress First Aid (SFA) and Virtual Schwartz Rounds (VSR) – peer support programs to address nurse well-being. SFA is a framework of actions to decrease stressors that exist within an individual’s or organizations’ level of control and facilitate recovery (Dong et al., 2022; McLean et al., 2023; Westphal & Watson, 2021). VSR is an online emotional support program led by 2 mental health facilitators and 2 nurse panelists who share their challenging work environment experiences (Gavin & Pleus, 2024). We aimed to identify nurse access to these programs and the implementation across organizations resulting in a heathier nursing work environment.
Methods: We distributed a 10-minute self-administered electronic survey to 175 nurses who completed SFA training in February 2023. We distributed a second survey to 2,346 nurses who attended at least one VSR session from November 2020 through June 2024.
Results: Thirty-five nurses (20% response) trained in SFA and 272 nurses (11.6% response) who participated in VSR responded. For SFA, over two thirds (n=24) of nurses reported using SFA strategies learned in practice and over one third (n=12) reported implementing SFA strategies into their work environment. Only one person reported successfully implementing or training nurses to manage stress. For VSR, more than two thirds (n=180) of nurses attended more than one VSR session whereas only 9% (n=24) of nurses attended 10 or more. Slightly over half (54%, n=147) of nurses reported having an emotional well-being program at work, but only one fourth (n=68) reported using a work-based program.
Implications: Emotional well-being programs continue to attract nurses seeking support, yet barriers remain. Implications may include funding for emotional support programs that are not affiliated with organizations promoting well-being in a neutral environment. Other implications include leaders encouraging nurses to access such programs without fear of stigma or employment repercussions. Leaders can also encourage nurses to discuss ways to cope with/debrief traumatic events, implement well-being resources in the organization, foster a sense of worth.
Notes
Browne, C. & Tie, Y. C. (2024). Promoting well-being: A scoping review of strategies implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic to enhance the well-being of the nursing workforce, International Journal of Nursing Studies Advances, 6, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnsa.2024.100177.
Dong, L., Meredith, L. S., Farmer, C. M., Ahluwalia, S. C., Chen, P. G., Bouskill, K., Han, B., Qureshi, N., Dalton, S., Watson, P., Schnurr, P. P., Davis, K., Tobin, J. N., Cassells, A., & Gidengil, C. A. (2022). Protecting the mental and physical well-being of frontline health care workers during COVID-19: Study protocol of a cluster randomized controlled trial. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 117, 106768. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cct.2022.106768
Gavin, E., & Pleus, D. (2024). School nurses' emotional wellbeing: May the Schwartz be with you!. NASN School Nurse, 39(3), 135–138. https://doi.org/10.1177/1942602X231213052
McLean, C. P., Betsworth, D., Bihday, C., Daman, M. C., Davis, C. A., Kaysen, D., Rosen, C. S., Saxby, D., Smith, A. E., Spinelli, S., & Watson, P. (2023). Helping the helpers: Adaptation and evaluation of stress first aid for healthcare workers in the veterans health administration during the COVID-19 pandemic. Workplace Health & Safety, 71(4), 162–171. https://doi.org/10.1177/21650799221148650
Westphal, R.J., & Watson, P. (2021). Stress first aid for health care professionals: Recognize and respond early to stress injuries [MOOC]. AMA STEPS Forward. https://edhub.ama-assn.org/steps-forward/module/2779767
Sigma Membership
Non-member
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
N/A
Research Approach
N/A
Keywords:
Workforce, Stress/coping, Mentoring, Coaching
Recommended Citation
de Cordova, Pamela B.; Grafova, Irina; and Polakowski, Jennifer, "Do Well-Being Programs Improve Work Environments? Evaluating State-Level Nurse Peer Support Programs" (2025). Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE). 20.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/chwe/2025/presentations_2025/20
Conference Name
Creating Healthy Work Environments
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Conference Year
2025
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.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Do Well-Being Programs Improve Work Environments? Evaluating State-Level Nurse Peer Support Programs
Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Introduction: Well-being programs geared to improve the work environment should be tailored to the individual and organization (Browne & Tie, 2024). The New Jersey Nursing Emotional Well-Being Institute (NJ-NEW) launched Stress First Aid (SFA) and Virtual Schwartz Rounds (VSR) – peer support programs to address nurse well-being. SFA is a framework of actions to decrease stressors that exist within an individual’s or organizations’ level of control and facilitate recovery (Dong et al., 2022; McLean et al., 2023; Westphal & Watson, 2021). VSR is an online emotional support program led by 2 mental health facilitators and 2 nurse panelists who share their challenging work environment experiences (Gavin & Pleus, 2024). We aimed to identify nurse access to these programs and the implementation across organizations resulting in a heathier nursing work environment.
Methods: We distributed a 10-minute self-administered electronic survey to 175 nurses who completed SFA training in February 2023. We distributed a second survey to 2,346 nurses who attended at least one VSR session from November 2020 through June 2024.
Results: Thirty-five nurses (20% response) trained in SFA and 272 nurses (11.6% response) who participated in VSR responded. For SFA, over two thirds (n=24) of nurses reported using SFA strategies learned in practice and over one third (n=12) reported implementing SFA strategies into their work environment. Only one person reported successfully implementing or training nurses to manage stress. For VSR, more than two thirds (n=180) of nurses attended more than one VSR session whereas only 9% (n=24) of nurses attended 10 or more. Slightly over half (54%, n=147) of nurses reported having an emotional well-being program at work, but only one fourth (n=68) reported using a work-based program.
Implications: Emotional well-being programs continue to attract nurses seeking support, yet barriers remain. Implications may include funding for emotional support programs that are not affiliated with organizations promoting well-being in a neutral environment. Other implications include leaders encouraging nurses to access such programs without fear of stigma or employment repercussions. Leaders can also encourage nurses to discuss ways to cope with/debrief traumatic events, implement well-being resources in the organization, foster a sense of worth.
Description
There is a need to evaluate emotional well-being programs beyond the individual level and determine if these programs improve the work environment. Evaluating the quality, access and implementation of these programs is key to ensuring the programs are meeting nurses’ needs.