"What's nice about this program is it's very user-friendly for the staff as well as leadership and what I also like about the program is we're all speaking one language." — Maria Lariccia Brennan, CNO, Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center

As COVID-19 continues to take its toll on nurses, some hospitals have adopted the Stress First Aid (SFA) program, which teaches nurses how to identify stress in other nurses or colleagues and then respond appropriately to de-escalate the stress reaction before there is a need for more formal intervention.

For this week's lead story, I talked to SFA advocate Maria Lariccia Brennan, chief nursing officer (CNO) of Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center, about why the program is so beneficial to nurses.

'Stress First Aid' Program Encourages Nurses to Gauge Each Others' Stress Levels

The program's peer support model helps healthcare workers recognize and respond to stress in their colleagues and themselves.

Pro Baseball Healthcare Groups Fund Nursing Specialty Certification Scholarships

Donation to the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses will help 80 nurses pursue certification.

Texas Billionaires Give Montana State University's College of Nursing $101M

The gift is intended to increase access to healthcare, particularly for Montana's rural and frontier communities.

Sponsored
The Driving Force of Healthcare Starts at the Bedside

This executive CNO Roundtable explored the strategies nurse leaders can take to ensure the nursing workforce and healthcare system is equipped to improve outcomes, reduce healthcare costs, and reshape healthcare delivery.

From Student Nurse Aid to CEO at The Christ Hospital Health Network

Deborah Hayes details her career journey, speaks on the health system's culture, and offers an inside look at the hospital's COVID-19 response.

Pandemic-Era Emergency-Use Devices Pose Hazard, Says Hospital Safety Expert

The FDA's emergency use authorizations in early 2020 remain mostly in effect, creating potential risks to patient safety.

New President of AAPA Shares Vision for Physician Assistant Profession

Jennifer Orozco sees physician assistants as a vital part of care teams and expects continued growth of the profession.

Must Reads

New York hospital to stop delivering babies as staffers quit over vaccine mandate — USA Today
Extra pay For Kansas nurses approved by pandemic response panel — NPR/Associated Press
WVU Medicine offering bonuses up to $15,000 for new nurses — Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Ida and COVID-19: 'Twin-demic' slams Louisiana hospitals — Associated Press
'More frustrating than nursing school': Ohio nurses wait months for state board to grant licenses amid COVID-19 — The Columbus Dispatch
Author James Patterson lauds ER nurses in new nonfiction book: 'They see it all' — The Hill

That's all for this Monday. Thank you for turning to HealthLeaders for your healthcare nursing news.

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We're always interested in what management strategies, thought leadership, or best practices you have to offer your peers.

Please email me at CDavis@HealthLeadersmedia.com with any ideas or suggestions. Have a good week and stay safe!

Carol Davis
Nursing Editor