Pilot program identifies nurses’ stress levels

Four health systems are piloting for three years Stress First Aid, which teaches individuals how to identify stress in others, as well as in teams or at the organizational level. First developed by the U.S. military for battle-scarred soldiers, nurses identify, respond and reduce stress using a scale consisting of colors ─ green, yellow, orange and red ─ to describe their stress levels. Colleagues can respond to nurses experiencing stress by observing and listening, getting help, or covering someone’s duties while they take a break. The American Nurses Foundation provided a grant to pilot the program to the University Hospital in Mobile Ala., BayCare Health in Tampa Bay, Fla., Indiana University Health at various locations and Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, in Winston-Salam, N.C. (HealthLeaders Media article, 8/15/23)