Report Release: Emotional Well-Being of New Jersey Nurses Post-COVID-19
COVID-19 brought to light the disparities among the nursing workforce that have been simmering in our health care system and highlighted the need for nurses to access emotional well-being programs with the intention of reducing emotional distress and burnout. In recognition of National Nurses Week, researchers have published a new report examining the findings from a study administered to NJ nurses who participated in the emotional support Virtual Schwartz Rounds (VSR) online sessions.
First launched in New Jersey in November 2020, the VSR is an online synchronous forum designed to connect nurses from all specialties across the Garden State with emotional support services. Originally designed and implemented by the New Jersey Nursing Initiative and the Rutgers School of Nursing, VSR sessions operate under the New Jersey Nursing Emotional Well-Being Institute (NJ-NEW) through the New Jersey Collaborating Center for Nursing. VSR sessions aim to support nurses by reducing stress and isolation, foster collaboration among colleagues, and enhance nurses’ ability to provide compassionate care. Since its launch, over one hundred VSR sessions have been held for nurses across the state.
With funding from the New Jersey State Policy Lab, researchers with the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers Health, and NJ-NEW surveyed nurses who had attended a VSR session. Among the findings, although half (50%) of the VSR participants reported that their employer offered an on-site emotional well-being program, just half of them reported participating in such a program in the past three years. Further, when compared to the total nursing workforce in NJ, those who participated in VSR sessions tended to be older and more highly educated. It is recommended that further research should focus on the barriers and facilitators that influence the implementation and impact of workplace emotional support programs.