Rutgers School of Nursing Magazine - Summer 2024

SUPPORTING NURSES’ EMOTIONAL NEEDS CAR I NG FOR THOSE WHO CARE : B Y C H R I S T I N A H E R N A N D E Z S H E R W O O D S Some 91 percent of nurses experience high levels of burnout, according to a 2023 National Institutes of Health study. Burnout goes beyond just being upset or having a bad day at work. It is clinically defined as a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. Burnout impacts nurses’ health and personal lives, and can lead to high turnover, poor patient engagement, and lowered standards of patient care. In the face of such unrelenting stress, nurses across the country are leaving the profession in droves. Susan W. Salmond, EdD, RN, ANEF, FAAN, executive vice dean and professor at Rutgers School of Nursing is leading the development of a variety of strategies to alleviate nurse burnout and ultimately reduce nurse turnover. One of them was the launch of New Jersey Nursing Emotional Well-Being (NJ-NEW) in 2022, which provides programming to support nurses’ mental health needs. NJ-NEW is a program of the New Jersey Collaborating Center for Nursing, housed at Rutgers School of Nursing. Clinical Professor Edna Cadmus, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, is co- director of NJ-NEW and executive director of the Collaborating Center. “A resource like NJ-NEW gives us a moment to breathe and acknowledge that life can be difficult,” says Salmond. “To operate at our best, it’s important to do some self-care.” Virtual Schwartz Rounds are a key part of the services offered by NJ-NEW. These hour-long sessions provide a safe space where nurses discuss the social and emotional issues of caring A C A D E M I C E X C E L L E N C E R U T G E R S N U R S I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 2 4 2 4 / 2 5