The Well-Being of Peer Supporters in a Pandemic: A Mixed-Methods Study.

BACKGROUND: Peer support is an effective, well-received approach to caring for health care professionals who face stress, challenges, and reduced well-being. Peer supporters may be at risk for emotional exhaustion and secondary traumatic stress due to their primary roles and involvement as peer supporters during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Peer supporters from five well-established peer support programs completed surveys (ProQOL and a five-item emotional exhaustion measure) to assess secondary traumatic stress, compassion satisfaction, and burnout during the pandemic. Analysis of variance models analyzed differences in these well-being outcomes by role, age, years in health care, and working in high-risk areas. Qualitative content analysis was performed for open-response questions about challenges, needs, and successful well-being strategies using Braun and Clarke's six-phase thematic analysis. RESULTS: A total of 375 peer supporters completed the survey between spring and summer 2021 for a response rate of about 38%. Most participants had low secondary traumatic stress and moderate to high compassion satisfaction; nearly 44% had concerning levels of emotional exhaustion. Compassion satisfaction was significantly lower (p = 0.003) and emotional exhaustion significantly higher (p < 0.001) among the youngest cohort, and both compassion satisfaction and emotional exhaustion differed across career stages (p = 0.003 and p = 0.04, respectively). Emotional exhaustion was significantly higher in peer supporters working in COVID units than in non-COVID units (p = 0.021). Peer supporters identified numerous protective and risk factors associated with serving as a peer supporter. CONCLUSION: Despite having moderate to high levels of compassion satisfaction, peer supporters report high levels of burnout and numerous challenges and needs to sustain their well-being. To maintain effective peer support programs during the ongoing pandemic, health care organizations must study and support the well-being of health care professional peer supporters.

HOW THE CENTER FOR WORKLIFE WELLBEING IS SUPPORTING CAREGIVERS DURING COVID-19

Having been in existence for several years, ChristianaCare's Center for WorkLife Wellbeing was well-positioned to spearhead many collaborative efforts designed to promote caregiver wellbeing during the current prolonged pandemic. The chief wellness officer took several actions as a senior physician leader to ensure that caregiver wellbeing was a priority and that caregivers' concerns were used to promote positive change. The team members of the Center were able to adapt existing programs and services - and expand others - to ensure that caregivers were supported and capable of caring for patients with confidence. Supporting caregiver wellbeing is not the work of one office, but rather the entire system. Coordinated action is necessary to enact changes at the system level that make caregiver wellbeing a priority in the face of a national health crisis.

At the Heart of the Pandemic:: Nursing Peer Support

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented extraordinary demands, uncertainty, and stress among nurses, which take a toll on individual resilience and well-being. Leadership actions are necessary to protect and promote the psychological well-being of the nursing workforce. Nurse leaders have a responsibility to help reduce the harmful effects of our battle against this unprecedented pandemic. An essential element of a response plan to sustain well-being should be a formalized peer support network. This article outlines nurses’ experiences during the pandemic, describes peer support basics, offers best practices for peer support programs, and presents lessons learned from 2 mature peer support programs.