Trusted and The Ohio State University (OSU) College of Nursing have just launched a new initiative focused on promoting the mental health and well-being of nurses on the frontlines of COVID-19. As we move into May, Mental Health Awareness Month, it’s a great time to focus on the emotional and psychological -- not just the physical -- challenges of this pandemic.
Even before the novel challenges posed by COVID-19, the rate of nurse burnout has been increasing drastically and has increased job-induced stress, anxiety, and depression. The current pandemic, along with its accompanying shortage of PPE and healthcare staff, has only worsened the situation.
As a response, Ohio State and Trusted Health have partnered to provide the support that our nurses need right now. The goal is to provide nurses with mental health and wellness support using evidence-based strategies to assist them in coping with and adjusting throughout the remainder of, and after, the pandemic.
What Is the Program & How Does It Work?
Experienced nurse practitioner faculty, including mental health experts and supervised nurse practitioner students, will be providing direct, one-on-one support to Trusted Nurses through two program offerings.
This is a first-of-its-kind program entailing support by nurses for nurses. Given the unique challenges that come with being a nurse, and particularly working on the frontlines, we are especially proud to be the first to offer this kind of clinician-to-clinician support.
The first offering takes the form of an emotional support line, where experienced mental health nurse practitioner faculty will discuss stressors and offer coping strategies and stress-reduction techniques.
The second offering is a wellness partnership program that lasts for a period of four or eight weeks. Nurses who utilize the support line have the option to opt into this program, whereby they will be matched with faculty or supervised APRN students who will provide cognitive-behavioral skill building, motivational interviewing, and mindfulness techniques to assist them in finding sustainable solutions to enhance their health and well-being throughout this time.
If you are a Trusted Nurse and are interested in learning more or signing up, please connect with your Nurse Advocate or look for our email with more details.
