Critical Incident Stress Management Team; Creating a Magnetic Environment Through Staff Support Satisfaction

Purpose:
To provide a structured and formal form of support through the organization to whom the nurse is employed. A formal interdisciplinary team can help guide and inspire nurses to transform grow, and blossom in body and spirit thus making a healthier workforce and increase quality of care for patients.

Significance:
Occupational stress is documented as a major factor that leads to decreased productivity, morale, and burnout of nurses. Critical events can build up causing negative effects on the efficiency of patient care, customer service, cost to the hospital, nursing morale, and nursing retention.

Strategy and Implementation:
An evidence-based practice change project was instituted with the goal of building and disseminating an in house Critical Incident Stress Management Team (CISM) and stress management education. The CISM team is a way to provide nurses and all healthcare workers with a real time, organizationally supported way to cope with critical incidents that occur in the institution in which they work. A CISM team was formulated and instituted in Shadyside hospital. Education regarding and team, how to use it, and self stress reduction practices and tips were given to three core high impact units. Pre and post Perceived Stress Scale Survey's were given to these units. The results indicated that where was a decrease in the perception of stress post CISM implementation and education.

Evaluation:
Pre and post Perceived Stress Scale results were given to staff on three core high impact units in which there were a perceived number of increased critical incidents in which staff were inflicted with stress relating behaviors.

Implications for Practice:
The reduction of perceived stress indicates the positivity and effectiveness of the project thus showing that structured stress reduction programs in real time promotes improved morale and job satisfaction which in turn can lead to increased quality of care and less nursing care errors.