The increased demands on healthcare facilities as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic have taken an emotional and physical toll on Healthcare Workers (HCW) including nurses, who are on the front lines of patient care. HCW are at an increased risk of mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as a result of repeated exposure to traumatic events, long working hours, workplace violence, and repeated exposure to death and suffering. Additionally, nurses have a higher risk of suicide than the general population. A literature review was conducted and identified resilience interventions as a theme. Interventions identified were small group resiliency training, a multiple intervention approach, structured debriefing, and peer-to-peer support. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project is to implement a strategy to promote resilience with the goal of alleviating fatigue, depression, burnout, anxiety and stress, and mental/physical quality of life. The Battle Buddy intervention consists of a structured process of peer-to-peer support. The Battle Buddy program is widely used by the U.S. Army and was recently implemented in the hospital setting by the University of Minnesota as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Anticipate, Plan, Deter (APD) model and strategies to promote resilience and emotional well-being were made available to the participants. The intervention was piloted with Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) students in the graduate program of a large Midwestern College of Nursing. The intervention was implemented in phases that include assigning Battle Buddy pairs, providing resources, and structured (optional) Battle Buddy Workshops. An informal Battle Buddy workshop survey was administered following each workshop. The Well Being Index (WBI) was used to survey the APRN students at baseline, six, and 12 weeks after implementation. Despite limited survey responses, the quantitative and qualitative data show that participants benefitted from being able to connect on their own time with a peer who understood their struggles.
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