Date of Conferral

2022

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Mary Martin

Abstract

AbstractEmployees from a large government agency were abruptly switched to telework for an extended period of time. There was no plan to address potential psychological stressors associated with the disruption of work-family-life balance that emerged as a result of COVID-19. A knowledge gap in how to support employees was apparent from discussions during team and administrative meetings. The project question explored whether the use of stress first-aid (SFA), an educational program, would enable employees to learn self-care strategies to address stressors in a less protected environment. The purpose of this DNP project was to provide a staff education awareness program in SFA to identify early warning signs of stress reactions to avert a stress injury. The scientific evidence supported education awareness training as an effective strategy to address the gap among healthcare professionals. Survey Monkey collected and analyzed 37 surveys. The summative evaluation found most employees were very satisfied with teleworking and very frustrated with the return to in-person office settings. Employees 50 years and older, married without children, with advanced degrees, and with years of work experience were worried and extremely worried about the psychological impact of COVID-19. Recommendations included integrating SFA as a competency, new employee orientation, and a mentoring program. Other recommendations included training for SFA site champions and providing leadership training in disaster management to prepare for the next epidemic or pandemic. The project’s positive social change impact may lead to reduced stress by fostering peer and organizational support, addressing stigma, and changing the culture to provide a safe work environment.

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