UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Resilience is a skill set vital to nurses as it enhances individual well-being and flexibility and helps individuals to manage change and hardship, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). Learning how to develop these healthy lifestyle behaviors, problem-solving, and coping skills are critically important as nurses rely on their own well-being to provide high-quality patient care and safety.
To help address this need, the association has developed a core competency for professional nursing education with the aim of promoting diversity, retention and self-awareness while avoiding mental exhaustion, and re-directing energy from negative perceptions to positive influence through leadership opportunities.
In accordance with the AACN, the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing at Penn State has adopted the MINDSTRONG/MINDBODYSTRONG program, a seven-week manualized, evidence-based, cognitive-behavioral skills-building program, originally developed by Ohio State University, that aims to help individuals increase healthy lifestyle behaviors to decrease depression, anxiety, stress and burnout. MINDSTRONG is for young adults who are not yet licensed health care professionals and MINDBODYSTRONG is for licensed health care professionals.
Leading in facilitating the programs are Nese College Dean Laurie Badzek, Assistant Dean Kelly Wolgast and Assistant Teaching Professor Christina Lightner, who serve as Wellness Champion Leaders for nursing students, faculty and staff in the college. There are an additional 47 nursing faculty and staff Wellness Leaders who represent undergraduate and graduate students from 13 campus locations, who are committed to promoting and advocating for the personal health and well-being of students, faculty and staff and are leading the way in promoting a sustainable nursing workforce.
As a pilot, MINDBODYSTRONG was completed by 69 nursing faculty and graduate students in Spring 2021 and MINDSTRONG was completed by 22 nursing staff in Summer 2022. In Fall 2022, the MINDSTRONG program was integrated into the sophomore-level professional development nursing course and completed by 431 undergraduate nursing students in nine classes across eight campuses. Then, in Spring 2023, the MINDSTRONG/MINDBODYSTRONG programs were completed by 19 undergraduate and 10 graduate students, three faculty and one staff.
Students reported benefiting most from learning how to change a negative self-statement into a positive self-statement and creating a positive thinking goal as a focal point for the week. The lessons and skills-building activities helped students to build self-confidence and resilience.
“I thought the content was beneficial because it allowed us to reflect on the habits we were practicing," stated one student. "Overall, it just made us become more aware of our thoughts and actions so that we can invoke change within ourselves."
Badzek, Wolgast and Lightner presented the Fall 2022 research findings at the sixth National Biennial Building Healthy Academic Communities Summit on April 20, in Wilmington, North Carolina. Joined by Wendy Edgar, assistant teaching professor of nursing at Penn State Fayette, who presented her doctor of nursing practice project findings related to the Spring 2022 MINDBODYSTRONG implementation with nursing faculty and graduate students. In attendance representing Penn State included Amy Criscitello, a nursing instructor at Penn State Altoona and doctor of nursing practice student, and three undergraduate nursing students.
The MINDSTRONG program will continue to be integrated into the sophomore professional development nursing course for the fall 2023 semester.