Promoting Nurse Well-Being through Peer and Leadership Support
By Erin Gilfenbaum
Nurses entering the workforce in 2025 face a variety of challenges . The transition from nursing education to real-world practice can be overwhelming , with many nurses experiencing what may feel like a culture shock . In the 2023 Pulse on the Nation ’ s Nurses Survey from the American Nurses Foundation ( Foundation ), more than half ( 57 %) of surveyed nurses in the United States reported symptoms of burnout ( Berlin , et al , 2023 ). In that same study , researchers found that nurses with fewer years of experience were more likely to report dissatisfaction with their role , had a higher likelihood of leaving their role , and were more likely to be experiencing burnout . In an urgent response to these challenges , the Foundation — with support from a grant from the United Health Foundation — developed a new program called Nurse Well-Being : Building Peer and Leadership Support ( Foundation , 2024 ) which aims to address
nurse burnout by creating more supportive work environments .
Now , in the final year of the threeyear pilot program , more than 50 Nurse Champions have delivered the Nurse Well-Being program to nearly 1,000 nurses in their health systems to reduce stress and address burnout . The Foundation partnered with the pilot sites to adapt the curriculum from Stress First Aid — originally developed for military and first responders — to be a comprehensive and actionable program for nurses by nurses . This was achieved by infusing a nursing lens into content , imagery , and examples to ensure nurses can see themselves represented . For example , the interactive portion of the training includes vignettes based on real-life situations that nurses encounter in their daily lives .
The trained Nurse Champions at each site have implemented the evidence-based peer support program across 22 units to date . They share learnings , challenges , and success with each other in monthly learning-community meetings . Instead of addressing burnout at the individual nurse level , the program addresses burnout at the system level by transforming organizational culture . It removes the stigma associated with seeking mental health support and encourages earlier , more effective use of mental health resources . The pilot sites include BayCare Health System in Tampa , FL ; Indiana University Health in Indianapolis , IN ; University of South Alabama ( USA ) Health University Hospital in Mobile , AL ; and Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist in Winston-Salem , NC .
“ As nurses , we suppress our own emotions to care for others . Many nurses do not reach out for help . The Nurse Well-Being program from the American Nurses Foundation teaches us how to cope with what we face daily to take better care of our patients and ourselves ,” said Ashley Melendez , BSN , RN , Patient Care Leader , BayCare Health .
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