RISE: Exploring Volunteer Retention and Sustainability of a Second Victim Support Program

Workforce Engagement for Compassionate Advocacy, Resilience, and Empowerment (WE CARE): An Evidence-Based Wellness Program

Poor well-being and burnout among the nursing workforce were heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to deliver, spread, and sustain an evidence-based wellness program, Workforce Engagement for Compassionate Advocacy, Resilience, and Empowerment (WE CARE), for nurse leaders, staff registered nurses (RNs), and patient care technicians (PCTs) to ameliorate or prevent burnout, promote resilience, and improve the work environment. The program included Community Resiliency Model (CRM) training provided by a certified 6-member wellness team. A baseline and 6-month follow-up survey included measures of well-being, moral distress, burnout, resilience, perceived organizational support (POS), job satisfaction, intent to leave (ITL), and work environment. A total of 4900 inpatient RNs, PCTs, and leaders of a 1207-bed academic medical center in the southeastern United States were analyzed. From baseline (n = 1533) to 6-month follow-up (n = 1457), well-being, moral distress, burnout, job satisfaction, and work environment improved; however, resilience, POS, and ITL did not. Although we have seen some improvements in well-being and mental health indicators, it is still early in the intervention period to have reached a critical mass with the training and other interventions. The mental health and work environment issues among nurses are so complex, no one-size-fits-all intervention can resolve.

The Evolution of Employee Assistance Programs to Best Support Healthcare Organizations

GOAL

Employee assistance programs (EAPs) have been evolving since they first became prevalent in the 1970s. The important counseling component of EAPs is sometimes lost in discussions about what they do, with many EAPs marketing a broad portfolio of services such as childcare, elder care, legal referral, and other concierge services rather than counseling. The objective of this study was to examine outcomes for the EAP of one organization (Mayo Clinic), compare them to outcomes reported in the literature, and gain insights to help all healthcare organizations best support their employees.

METHODS

Consistent with customary EAP practice, data for this study was collected through an anonymous survey link distributed by e-mail to users of individual counseling as well as users of organizational consulting services such as advising leaders and supervisors and leading educational sessions.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

All (n = 82) individual counseling respondents indicated they would recommend the EAP, none reported worse symptoms, 90% decreased their stress levels, 92% reduced their feelings of anxiety, 88% enjoyed an overall improvement in mood, and 95% developed new skills. If their concern was work-related, 96% agreed the counselor understood the work culture and was able to provide helpful guidance; of the clients who were feeling burned out, 86% agreed they gained strategies to reduce its symptoms. Thematic analysis of individual counseling services indicated that participants highly valued their counselors. Regarding organizational consulting services, respondents (n = 50) indicated EAP services increased their confidence as leaders, supported their work, and provided tangible guidance. They appreciated having an internal EAP counselor. Thematic analysis of organizational consulting services indicated that EAP supported leaders by listening, coaching, and empowering them to normalize issues.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

EAPs have evolved into distinct internal, external, and hybrid internal-external models. Internal model counselors are company employees with inside knowledge of company culture, external EAP model counselors are contracted outside of the company, and hybrid models combine a small cadre of internal counselors with the support of outside contractors. Regardless of the model, EAP counselors must collaborate with internal stakeholders, notably the human resources department, to efficiently identify and troubleshoot employee relational issues and allow for customized initiatives to improve mental health. Based upon these findings and the authors' direct experiences with EAP providers, components of an ideal EAP are outlined to show how EAPs can best support employees. Healthcare leaders seeking to add EAP services are advised to focus on offerings that are custom fit to the organization.

Acute Stress in Health Workers in Colombia 2017-2021: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objectives: Analyze the presence of acute stress response after adverse events in human talent in Colombian health institutions from 2017 to 2021. Methods: Cross-sectional study of prevalence, carried out on 838 members of the human talent in health (professionals, technicians, technologists, and auxiliaries) of Colombian health institutions in the study period with the application of the EASE instrument. Univariate analysis using descriptive statistical techniques, chi-square and Student's t-test, and bivariate analysis with a Poisson regression model using the institucional SPSS v. 26. Results: The prevalence of adverse events in the last 5 years was 33.8%, presenting levels of acute stress qualifying as Medium-high emotional overload at 21.91%, while extreme acute stress was at 3.53%. The prevalence of risk for presenting acute stress after being involved in an adverse event was PR: 1.30 (CI: 1.24-1.36). Conclusion: Acute stress in human talent after adverse events is limiting health and care capacity and must be efficiently addressed by health institutions. Psychosocial risk is linked within the framework of the patient safety program and the institutional occupational health and safety management systems.

Distress, support and psychological resilience of psychiatric nurses as second victims after violence: A cross-sectional study

AIM

The aim is to explore the impact of violence and psychological resilience on psychiatric nurses as second victims.

BACKGROUND

Workplace violence is a public health concern, seriously influencing medical staff's physical and mental health. However, few pieces of research have concentrated on psychiatric nurses as second victims.

METHOD

The socio-demographic data, violence-related data, psychological resilience scale, the Chinese version of the Second Victim Experience and Support Tool were applied to conduct a cross-sectional survey on nurses from psychiatric hospitals. The multiple linear regression model identified significant variables associated with violence-related injury and resilience.

RESULTS

A total of 683 nurses completed the survey, of whom 88.3% were women. The average scores of the second victims' experience and support, support and distress were 3.45 ± 0.43, 3.71 ± 0.57 and 3.19 ± 0.67, respectively. Physical violence, psychological violence, psychological influence and nursing work environment were positively correlated with the experience and support of the second victims, and innocuous violence was a negative factor, which explains 20.6% of the variation. Moreover, physical injury, nursing work environment, resilience restructuring, physical violence, psychological violence, psychological impact and disagreement about the existence of violence explained 14.8% of the distress. The innocuous violence, psychological violence and nursing work environment explained 46.2% of the support.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that nurses who are second victims after the violence mainly suffer from severe psychological distress and receive the least support for the same.

IMPLICATION FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

The study provides clues to help nursing managers' emphasis on the distress and support of second victims and provides targeted intervention based on the relevant factors and these results. The article is a cross-sectional study of psychiatric nurses, which has been approved by the ethics committee of the hospital before the survey. All the nurses who participated in the survey have been informed and agreed.

Promoting the Psychological Well-Being of Healthcare Providers Facing the Burden of Adverse Events: A Systematic Review of Second Victim Support Resources

Given the negative impact of adverse events on the wellbeing of healthcare providers, easy access to psychological support is crucial. We aimed to describe the types of support resources available in healthcare organizations, their benefits for second victims, peer supporters’ experiences, and implementation challenges. We also explored how these resources incorporate aspects of Safety I and Safety II. We searched six databases up to 19 December 2019 and additional literature, including weekly search alerts until 21 January 2021. Two reviewers independently performed all methodological steps (search, selection, quality assessment, data extraction, formal narrative synthesis). The 16 included studies described 12 second victim support resources, implemented between 2006 and 2017. Preliminary data indicated beneficial effects not only for the affected staff but also for the peer responders who considered their role to be challenging but gratifying. Challenges during program implementation included persistent blame culture, limited awareness of program availability, and lack of financial resources. Common goals of the support programs (e.g., fostering coping strategies, promoting individual resilience) are consistent with Safety II and may promote system resilience. Investing in second victim support structures should be a top priority for healthcare institutions adopting a systemic approach to safety and striving for just culture.