Exploring Strategies to Build Resiliency in Nurses During Work Hours

Abstract

OBJECTIVE This pilot study investigated increasing nurse resiliency utilizing a toolkit of stress-reducing interventions on medical-surgical units at 4 hospitals. BACKGROUND Resiliency-building activities are time consuming and undertaken outside work hours. Although the activities show a positive impact on resilience, researchers investigated whether similar results could be achieved where nurses experience work stress. METHODS This quasi-experimental pretest and posttest interventional study used a within-subjects design. Provided toolkits included written instructions to carry out the study. Nurses completed surveys at baseline, at 10 time points over a 6-week period, and at study conclusion. RESULTS The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-10 scores increased significantly at follow-up (P < .02). Self-reported stress levels decreased over the 10 shifts with continued use of the interventions. CONCLUSION Using stress-reducing interventions during work decreased stress and increased resiliency, thereby offering nurse leaders additional options to promote a healthy workforce at the bedside.

Decreasing On-shift Stress With a Crisis Intervention Cart

“…Literature strongly supports a correlation between resilience, stress, and retention 3 . Overall, highly resilient nurses cope with stress more effectively than nurses with lower levels of resilience 2 .…”

“…With the intense stress the pandemic has brought, it became evident to leaders at Methodist Dallas Medical Center (MDMC) that frontline staff needed rapid, effective, elbow-support–style interventions to combat stress on-shift. A study published in 2021 aimed to decrease stress and increase resilience by providing portable, brief interventions nurses could use during work hours 3 . These techniques and interventions were modified in combination from input by frontline staff and evidence-based practices with a goal of decreasing reported work stress and increasing related retention of nursing staff.…”

“…A study published in 2021 aimed to decrease stress and increase resilience by providing portable, brief interventions nurses could use during work hours. 3 These techniques and interventions were modified in combination from input by frontline staff and evidence-based practices with a goal of decreasing reported work stress and increasing related retention of nursing staff. Unfortunately, the pandemic has compounded an already challenging nursing shortage of 7.2 million health professionals worldwide.…”

“Room to Reflect”: A Pilot Workplace Resiliency Intervention for Nurses

“…Recognized limitations of resiliency-building activities in the workplace have contributed to an increase in accessible innovative tools and interventions in the health care setting. Mintz-Binder and colleagues (2021) assessed the effectiveness of a pilot resiliency toolkit with lavender aromatherapy, phone application games, crossword puzzles, and instructional cards about meditation and deep breathing for RNs in four urban hospitals in the Southeastern U.S. [ 31 , 32 ]. RNs using the toolkit experienced decreased perceived stress at work and increased resilience scores.…”

“…Few studies to date integrate mindfulness practices with innovative technology such as VR for clinician well-being interventions. The innovative work from Mintz-Binder and colleagues (2021) indicated that easily accessible restorative practices are beneficial for RNs and suggested that other tools such as VR, sound machines, and phone applications may further support clinician restoration [ 31 , 32 ]. Given the high demand for interventions supporting clinician work that are easily accessible immediately and in the work setting, we sought to develop and measure a program using innovative technologies for clinician restoration.…”