Abstract
The purpose of this presentation is to describe a faculty and staff wellbeing strategy in an academic setting.
Workplaces supporting wellbeing have employees three to nine times more likely to have good mental and physical health, little stress, no burnout, and high-quality work life, compared to workplaces providing little or no wellbeing support.
Academic leaders saw an opportunity to make a difference in faculty and staff wellbeing. Faculty and staff perspectives were identified through the MiniZ Survey General, and open-ended questions, and leaders developed wellbeing sessions and programs. The first session was a wellbeing workshop hosted just prior to an initial academic year faculty and staff meeting. Sessions included an overview of overall university wellbeing opportunities, the school wellbeing strategic plan, breathing, yoga, meditation, art therapy and Qigong. Succeeding sessions based on faculty and staff recommendations and interests were offered throughout the academic year.
As the wellbeing workshop and sessions were well attended, leaders surveyed faculty and staff with the MIniZ Survey General and open-ended questions at the beginning of second academic year. Initial offerings for the second year workshop included a Mini-Stress First Aid Course and Qigong.
By comparing results from year one to year two, leaders could determine success of past sessions and potential programming for the following academic year. Other academic or practice settings can use similar methodology to identify what faculty, staff, and practicing nurses need to enhance their well-being.
Responses to the initial survey indicated a gap in knowledge regarding offerings at the University and on the campus but identified interest in more Qigong exercises and stretching and desk activities, including mindfulness and relaxation.
At the second year workshop, 78% of faculty and staff reported participating in a Mediterranean Diet, meditation, regular exercise, Qigong or a combination of the activities.
Notes
References: Clifton, J., & Harter, J. (2021). Wellbeing at work. Simon and Schuster.
Hesketh, I., & Cooper, C. (2023). Wellbeing at work: how to design, implement and evaluate an effective strategy. Kogan Page Publishers.
Linzer, M., McLoughlin, C., Poplau, S., Goelz, E., Brown, R., Sinsky, C., & AMA-Hennepin Health System (HHS) Burnout Reduction Writing Team. (2022). The mini Z worklife and burnout reduction instrument: psychometrics and clinical implications. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 37(11), 2876-2878.
Naegle, M. A., Kelly, L. A., Embree, J. L., Valentine, N., Sharp, D., Grinspun, D., ... & Rosa, W. E. (2023). American Academy of Nursing consensus recommendations to advance system level change for nurse well-being. Nursing outlook, 71(2), 101917.
Sigma Membership
Alpha
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
N/A
Research Approach
N/A
Keywords:
Stress/coping, Faculty development, Workforce
Recommended Citation
Opsahl, Angela G.; Embree, Jennifer Louise; and Osborn, Whitney, "Using Faculty and Staff Voice to Drive Workplace Well-Being Strategy" (2025). Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE). 30.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/chwe/2025/presentations_2025/30
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
Using Faculty and Staff Voice to Drive Workplace Well-Being Strategy
Phoenix, Arizona, USA
The purpose of this presentation is to describe a faculty and staff wellbeing strategy in an academic setting.
Workplaces supporting wellbeing have employees three to nine times more likely to have good mental and physical health, little stress, no burnout, and high-quality work life, compared to workplaces providing little or no wellbeing support.
Academic leaders saw an opportunity to make a difference in faculty and staff wellbeing. Faculty and staff perspectives were identified through the MiniZ Survey General, and open-ended questions, and leaders developed wellbeing sessions and programs. The first session was a wellbeing workshop hosted just prior to an initial academic year faculty and staff meeting. Sessions included an overview of overall university wellbeing opportunities, the school wellbeing strategic plan, breathing, yoga, meditation, art therapy and Qigong. Succeeding sessions based on faculty and staff recommendations and interests were offered throughout the academic year.
As the wellbeing workshop and sessions were well attended, leaders surveyed faculty and staff with the MIniZ Survey General and open-ended questions at the beginning of second academic year. Initial offerings for the second year workshop included a Mini-Stress First Aid Course and Qigong.
By comparing results from year one to year two, leaders could determine success of past sessions and potential programming for the following academic year. Other academic or practice settings can use similar methodology to identify what faculty, staff, and practicing nurses need to enhance their well-being.
Responses to the initial survey indicated a gap in knowledge regarding offerings at the University and on the campus but identified interest in more Qigong exercises and stretching and desk activities, including mindfulness and relaxation.
At the second year workshop, 78% of faculty and staff reported participating in a Mediterranean Diet, meditation, regular exercise, Qigong or a combination of the activities.
Description
Determining a strategy for enhancing workplace well-being requires a variety of tactics. Surveying faculty and staff to elicit their perspectives identified opportunities to decrease stress and burnout and provide healthy work environment sessions to meet faculty and staff needs. This presentation describes using the Mini Z Survey General and small tests of change with faculty and staff to enhance the academic work environment.