Integrative Wellness Approaches to Mitigate Perceived Stress, Increase Vitality, and Build Community during COVID-19: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Introduction: In January 2020, a small, private school of nursing in a university in the pacific northwest, established the Initiative for Vital Practice (I4VP). The I4VP’s primary goal was to create a sustainable pathway for increasing vital practice through increasing resiliency and self-care practices. Objectives. The ensuing pathway’s objectives were to, (1) take previously identified factors related to perceived stress related to workloads, impacts on professional quality of life and psychosocial exposures during the COVID-19 pandemic; and (2) develop and pilot test a wellness intervention (i.e., wellness pods) for faculty and staff to build community and find new ways to enhance well-being through peer support. Methods: Five focused Wellness Pods were developed on Microsoft Teams platform using the individual channels: (1) stress and mind–body exploration pod; (2) mindfulness in healthcare pod; (3) healing relationship pod; (4) environmental pod; and (5) physical activity pod. Faculty and staff self-selected into a Wellness Pod that interested them. The Wellness Pods met weekly in person over a period of two months. Quantitative and qualitative data was collected via cross-sectional surveys including: four sociodemographic items, one item on current stress level, one write-in item on current stress management at work, two write-in items focused on the cognitive reasoning for participation, the 7-item subjective vitality scale focused individual difference, the 7-item subjective vitality scale focused on the state level, the 10-item perceived stress scale, and one item ranking which wellness pod the individual wanted to participate in. There was one trained facilitator for the overall Wellness Pods operations and communication. Results. The average score on the perceived stress scale was 22.3 (SD = 3.5), indicating moderate levels of perceived stress. The average score on the individual difference vitality score was 26.5 (SD = 7.6), whereas the state level vitality score was 21.4 (SD = 9.98), indicating moderate levels of subjective vitality. Two categories: stress management and wellness pods, were identified through content analysis. Conclusions: Through pilot testing, this project demonstrated feasibility for future wellness pods interventions for faculty and staff at schools of nursing. Future research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of the wellness pods intervention.

The Influence of Risk and Protection Factors on the Professional Resilience in the Helping Professions

“…С начала пандемии понятие «утомление от сострадания» широко используется в работах, описывающих улучшение качества профессиональной деятельности у будущих медсестер путем повышения их жизнеспособности и формирования навыков самопомощи. Для улучшения их состояния целями стали как выявление факторов риска, так и разработка оздоровительных профилактических процедур с участием коллег [60]. В другом исследовании показано, что психологи сохраняли жизнеспособность, отдавая предпочтение точному следованию общей цели работы с пережившими травму, проговаривая цель для себя и клиента, сосредоточив внимание на травме, стимулирующей посттравматический рост [39].…”