Implementing a Research Project Intervention to Enhance Professional Identity Through Stress First Aid

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Occupational Health
• Psychology

Background:

• Nurses frequently experience high levels of unmitigated stress and burnout.
• Existing interventions for stress and burnout in nursing lack long-term sustainability.
• Professional identity in nursing is linked to positive outcomes but its intersection with stress and work environment health is underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the connection between stress mitigation and professional identity in nursing.
• To introduce an intervention model for nursing professional development specialists.
• To guide nurses in investigating the relationship between professional identity and a healthy work environment.

Main Methods:

• Described an intervention example for nursing professional development specialists.
• Focused on teaching nurses to investigate the link between stress mitigation and professional identity.
• Integrated stress first aid principles and shared governance councils.

Main Results:

• The intervention aims to empower nurses to understand and address workplace stress.
• It encourages the development of professional identity as a buffer against stress.
• The approach utilizes existing structures like shared governance councils.

Conclusions:

• Integrating professional identity development with stress management strategies is crucial for nurses.
• Interventions should be sustainable and leverage existing organizational structures.
• Further exploration is needed to validate the impact of this integrated approach on nurse well-being and patient outcomes.