Nurses who regularly work in fast-paced, high stress environments may be exposed to considerable psychosocial stressors. Relative to the general population and in relation to most occupations, nurses experience much higher rates of mental disorder symptoms, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). While the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated this, moral distress and operational stress injuries (OSI) were affecting nurses prior to this global event. OSIs include a broad range of conditions, including PTSD, depression, anxiety, other mental health disorders as well as moral injury. Despite the recognition of workplace reintegration as a challenge among this population, there is a paucity of literature that focuses on return-to-work or workplace reintegration for nurses and healthcare professionals.
The purpose of this study is to explore the contextualization and socialization of a workplace reintegration program (RP) initiative for nurses within Alberta health care organizations reintegrating to work after a psychological injury through an implementation science lens.
1. Completion of a scoping literature review of current reintegration programs and practices for nurses.
2. Key stakeholder engagement to explore barriers and facilitators for implementation of the RP for Emergency Department and Intensive Care/Critical Care Unit nurses within Alberta health care organizations.
3. Development of knowledge translation and mobilization materials to assist with the socialization and contextualization of the RP for nurses and potentially other healthcare professionals.
Creating an effective return-to-work program in collaboration with the efforts already in place by WCB could scaffold the ability for nurses to return to the workplace in a healthier and potentially longer-term position. This study will also set the stage for a future prospective, mixed-methods pilot study evaluating initial effectiveness of the RP once embedded within the organization.