Resilience, Insight, Self-Compassion, and Empowerment (RISE): A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Psychoeducational Group Program for Nurses

Abstract

Background: Nurses tend to be vulnerable to burnout and compassion fatigue due to constant workplace stressors. There is a need to provide advocacy, education, programming, and resources in the areas of positive coping and self-care to reduce burnout symptoms and promote well-being. RISE is an 8-week psychoeducational group intervention for nurses with four themes: resilience, insight, self-compassion, and empowerment. Objectives: This randomized controlled trial examined the effects of RISE on mental well-being. Methods: The sample included 75 registered nurses who work in a hospital-based setting. Outcomes included resilience, insight, self-compassion, empowerment, stress mind-set, perceived stress, and burnout. Independent-samples t tests were conducted to compare outcomes between intervention and wait-list control groups at baseline and 1-month follow-up, as well as at 3-month follow-up. Supplemental analyses included paired-samples t tests and linear mixed models to compare the outcomes of the intervention group participants at baseline to 1-month follow-up, as well as at 3-month and 6-month follow-ups. Results: Participants in the intervention group showed improved levels of insight (i.e., engagement in self-reflection), perceived stress, and burnout (i.e., emotional exhaustion) when compared with the control group and improved levels of resilience, self-compassion, stress mind-set, and perceived stress when compared with their baseline. Conclusions: This study informs how RISE affects nurse well-being and may be an effective intervention for reducing burnout and stress. This type of whole-person intervention can support nurses to improve their well-being and ability to cope amid the complex interplay of factors at the individual, unit, and organizational levels.

Employment Status of Nurses After a Psychoeducational Group Intervention

“…This finding confirms our hypothesis that the psychoeducational group intervention may positively impact RN employment rates through reduced burnout (ie, emotional exhaustion) and improved levels of resilience, insight, self-compassion, and perceived stress. 12 Not only can burnout have negative psychological and physical effects on nurses, but it can also lead to turnover and low staffing in a healthcare organization. 21 As the intervention was provided at the individual level, environment changes and reduced nursing workload intensity must also be considered in efforts to lower nursing turnover.…”

“…Exclusion criteria were employed by the healthcare system as an advanced RN practitioner or employed in a role that completes another RN's annual evaluations, such as assistant nurse manager. 12 Deidentified matched control subjects were collected through the human resources department for the participants who completed the intervention with only 0 to 2 absences (n = 54). Matching occurred based on age, gender, race, work setting, and campus, when available.…”

“…A randomized controlled trial of the intervention was conducted in 2019-2020 to improve the mental well-being of RNs. 12 In the randomized controlled trial, the following scales were used to measure outcomes: Brief Resilience Scale, 13 Self-reflection and Insight Scale, 14 Self-compassion Scale-Short Form, 15 Psychological Empowerment Instrument, 16 Stress Mindset Measure-General, 17 Perceived Stress Scale, 18 and Maslach Burnout Inventory. 6 Employment with the healthcare organization was tracked longitudinally at 12 months.…”

A mixed‐methods pilot study of a psychoeducational group programme for nurse managers during the COVID‐19 pandemic

“…The exclusion criterion in this study was employed as a direct care nurse or in another level of nursing leadership (i.e., assistant nurse manager, director of nursing and executive leader). Bailey et al (2021) previously described the rationale, theoretical framework and development of the programme, and a randomized controlled trial was conducted with direct care nurses (Sawyer et al, 2021). Briefly, this psychoeducational group programme combines education, therapeutic process, skill development and social support in nine weekly 90-min sessions.…”

Effects of mobile-based mindfulness meditation for mental health of nurses: a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

“…The insufficient human resources, high work pressure, frequent night shift, long-term direct or indirect exposure to environmental stimulation of patients’ pain, sadness, and even death, low salary, heavy workload, violent injuries from patients and their families, COVID-19 effects and a series of other factors1–7 seriously affect the mental health of nurses 8. In addition, the long-term lack of effective mental health support has caused serious mental health problems for nurses,9 which are manifested in a series of anxiety, depression and even job burnout 10 11. This complication may reduce the nursing quality and patient satisfaction, increase the medical error rate12 and affect the clinical nursing outcome 13.…”