SNHP | Nurse Anesthesia DNP Project Presentations
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Graduate
Major
Nurse Anesthesia
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Dr. Amy Cook; Dr. Anna Fowler
Presentation Format
Poster Presentation
Abstract/Description
There is significant evidence that proves that Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists score exceptionally high on stress and anxiety scales. Research has demonstrated that high levels of anxiety and stress can lead to burnout and mental health concerns, including depression, fatigue, substance abuse, and suicidal ideation. A PICOT question was developed for this problem and is as follows: For first-year student registered nurse anesthetists starting clinicals in the operating room, how does participating in a wellness program where students are taught stress-reduction techniques affect their stress and resiliency scores one month and three months following the implementation of the program? This project was implemented for 18 SRNAs of varying critical care nursing backgrounds. The students’ baseline was scored using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14) and the Resilience Scale. A wellness toolkit was then presented to the students, including mindfulness, breathing techniques, nature exposure, aromatherapy exercises, sleep hygiene, and the use of humor. The Perceived Stress Scale and Resilience Scale were then sent to the students one month and three months following the presentation as a check-in with students (after students began in the clinical setting). There was a 3.6-point decrease in stress and a 10.5 increase in resilience scores at the one-month check-in. At the three-month check-in, there was a 3.6-point decrease in stress, and resilience had increased by 11.15 points from baseline scores. These findings show that this population is under a significant amount of stress, but with a bit of help from people who have been where they are before, these stress levels can decrease, and they can become more resilient. Doctorate of Nursing programs should utilize these findings to care for their students and create their own wellness toolkits.
Keywords: SRNAs, resilience, anxiety, stress, mental health, well-being, student registered nurse anesthetist
Spring Scholars Week 2025
Nurse Anesthesia DNP Project Presentations
Included in
Implementation of a Mental Health Wellness Toolkit for Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists
There is significant evidence that proves that Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists score exceptionally high on stress and anxiety scales. Research has demonstrated that high levels of anxiety and stress can lead to burnout and mental health concerns, including depression, fatigue, substance abuse, and suicidal ideation. A PICOT question was developed for this problem and is as follows: For first-year student registered nurse anesthetists starting clinicals in the operating room, how does participating in a wellness program where students are taught stress-reduction techniques affect their stress and resiliency scores one month and three months following the implementation of the program? This project was implemented for 18 SRNAs of varying critical care nursing backgrounds. The students’ baseline was scored using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14) and the Resilience Scale. A wellness toolkit was then presented to the students, including mindfulness, breathing techniques, nature exposure, aromatherapy exercises, sleep hygiene, and the use of humor. The Perceived Stress Scale and Resilience Scale were then sent to the students one month and three months following the presentation as a check-in with students (after students began in the clinical setting). There was a 3.6-point decrease in stress and a 10.5 increase in resilience scores at the one-month check-in. At the three-month check-in, there was a 3.6-point decrease in stress, and resilience had increased by 11.15 points from baseline scores. These findings show that this population is under a significant amount of stress, but with a bit of help from people who have been where they are before, these stress levels can decrease, and they can become more resilient. Doctorate of Nursing programs should utilize these findings to care for their students and create their own wellness toolkits.
Keywords: SRNAs, resilience, anxiety, stress, mental health, well-being, student registered nurse anesthetist