On PAR: A feasibility study of the Promoting Adult Resilience programme with mental health nurses

Abstract

Mental health settings are recognized as complex, unpredictable environments, and challenging interpersonal situations are common for nurses in acute adult mental health services. Occupational stressors include verbal aggression and physical assault and are correlated with poor physical and mental health outcomes for nurses. There is a clear need for proactive approaches that address the negative impacts of stressors on the mental health nursing workforce. Resilience interventions are a preventive approach to strengthening skills for addressing workplace stress, improving health and well-being, and preventing adverse outcomes associated with occupational stressors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of a workplace resilience education programme for nurses in high-acuity adult mental health settings. The outcomes were measured using a single-group pretest post-test design with follow-up at 3 months postintervention. The feasibility and acceptability of the programme were identified with descriptors of mental health, well-being, resilience, facilitator fidelity checklists, and participant satisfaction questionnaires. The programme was found to be feasible for nurses working in high-acuity inpatient settings. There were significant changes to mental health, well-being, and workplace resilience. The programme was delivered with fidelity by facilitators and accepted with high levels of satisfaction by participants. The study findings indicated that nurses can benefit from resilience education that equips them with cognitive, emotion regulation, and relational skills, in conjunction with available external supports and resources, to address workplace challenges. There is a need for comprehensive organizational approaches that include individual, work unit, and organizational-level strategies to support staff well-being.

Promoting positive and safe care in forensic mental health inpatient settings: Evaluating critical factors that assist nurses to reduce the use of restrictive practices

“…Additionally, the use of resilience interventions as a preventive approach to addressing workplace stress can improve staff overall health and well‐being (Foster et al . ).…”

Burning out physical and emotional fatigue: Evaluating the effects of a programme aimed at reducing burnout among mental health nurses

“…International studies have associated high staff turnover, decreased work efficiency and poor quality of service delivery with burnout (Salyers et al ; Yang et al ). Burnout is a cross‐cultural phenomenon and is considered a common problem among mental health professionals, with service providers reporting between 21% and 67% of staff experiencing burnout (Foster et al ; Morse et al ). In light of the current global nursing workforce crisis, it is imperative to protect mental health nurses against burnout.…”

The implementation and evaluation of a resilience enhancement programme for nurses working in the forensic setting

“…The qualitative findings were then used to unpack how participants' knowledge, understanding and perspectives shifted throughout the programme, and which aspects of it, in terms of structure and content, were most important for mentees and mentors. Previous studies evaluating the implementation of workplace resilience enhancement interventions for nurses have contained no, or limited, qualitative data, longer follow‐up periods, and/or small sample sizes (Foster et al, , Craigie et al ., ; Foster et al ., ; Slatyer et al ., ). Our study enabled us to utilize a mixed methods approach to rigorously explore some of the issues impacting on resilience in the nursing workplace.…”

“…; McDonald et al . ; Foster et al , ). Whilst individual nurses may possess these skills and qualities to a greater or lesser degree, the constant barrage of daily working life can reduce people's capacity to draw on and utilize these skills in times of need.…”

“…A narrative review examining burnout and well‐being in healthcare staff working in mental health services concluded that designing interventions targeting burnout and improved patient care together may improve the effectiveness and uptake of these interventions (Johnson et al ., ). However, despite a growing evidence base on effective workplace resilience enhancement interventions within nursing (Craigie et al ., ; McDonald et al ., ; Slatyer et al ., ), few studies examine the design and implementation of these interventions within mental health nursing (Foster et al, , Foster et al ., ; Foster et al ., ).…”