Using the Nursing Process to Support Nurse Wellness, Engagement, and Retention in Nurse-Family Partnership

Full Description: The recent American Nurses Association report (October, 2021) provides evidence that the COVID pandemic is having a negative impact on nurse mental health and wellness, has increased nurse burnout, and that a substantial number of nurses surveyed state that they are overwhelmed and stressed. National Service Office for Nurse Family Partnership and Child First (NSO) provides support for nurses implementing the NFP program, a program that provides free nurse visits to pregnant individuals and their families during pregnancy until the child is two years of age. Through network partner organizations over 2500 nurses are employed to provide visits and serve families. The NFP NSO is concerned about well-being of this nursing workforce.

The importance of self and team care is recognized and verbalized by individuals and organizations and yet this does not translate to a priority for individuals or organizations even though job stress, burnout, and compassions fatigue lead to job dissatisfaction, decreased job engagement, potentially decreased connection with the individuals and families being served, and with colleagues ultimately leading to nurse attrition. Promoting and fostering a culture of wellbeing and caring within the workforce is a goal of NFP.

We used the Nursing Process (Assess, Diagnose, Plan, Implement, Evaluate) to explore and address the issues of nurse wellness, job stress and burnout, compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction, and self and team care. The assessment was conducted through informal focus groups and a comprehensive survey. The focus group approach and survey template will be provided during this presentation. The results from both were then used to “diagnose” the state of wellness and caring among the thousands of nurses delivering the NFP program. This information will be provided including specifics on what fosters wellness and caring and what limits or decreases the sense of wellness and caring. Planning on how to address these issues included detailed wellness and caring principles created by nurses, and a wellness and caring online seminar series. The series was implemented and evaluated with excellent results. The next step in implementation is a team meeting packet comprised of all the information learned that incorporates self and team assessment and strategies to use the full nursing process for self and team wellness and caring.

The wellness and caring work. conducted through a trauma and violence informed and inclusivity lens, is essential to the wellness of the workforce. This presentation will include steps to ensure a trauma and violence informed and inclusive workplace.

The presentation will include didactic and interactive components and provide the participants with tools and activities that can be implemented immediately.

Abbreviated Description: This presentation provides information on a framework (the Nursing Process) that can be used to address nurse wellness and caring for individuals, teams, and organizations. The presentation includes a focus group and survey approach to assessment, findings, wellness and caring principles, and specific approaches to increase wellness and caring and decrease stress and burnout.