Implementation of a Stress First Aid-Informed Group Qigong Program for Direct-Care Staff in a Psychiatric Hospital 21 views

Title: Implementation of a Stress First Aid–Informed Group Qigong Program for Direct-Care Staff in a Psychiatric Hospital Problem Statement / Background: Healthcare workers (HCWs) at inpatient psychiatric facilities are among the highest-risk populations for workplace violence and resulting occupational stress injury. A needs assessment at the practice site found no structured individual-level wellness intervention. Mind-body interventions such as qigong have evidence for reducing HCW stress. Purpose: The purpose of this DNP evidence-based practice project was to implement a Stress First Aid (SFA)-informed group qigong program for direct-care HCWs at a large psychiatric hospital and to evaluate feasibility and preliminary change in perceived stress. Methods / Description: Guided by the Iowa Model, the project adapted evidence for qigong's role in stress reduction into SFA-informed classes offered on 10 Fridays over 12 weeks in two 30-minute blocks. The 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) was administered before and after the intervention. Outcomes were evaluated with descriptive statistics and a paired t test. Results / Outcomes: Fifty-two HCWs enrolled; 39 attended at least one class, and 32 provided matched pre- and post-intervention data. Uptake was higher among Monday–Friday staff (91.4%) than among shift-work nursing staff (41.2%). Perceived stress decreased by a mean of 3.22 points (p = .001) with a medium effect (d = 0.62). Attendance did not predict change. Conclusions / Implications for Practice: The SFA-informed group qigong program was feasible, low-cost, and associated with a preliminary reduction in perceived stress. A causal effect could not be established given the uncontrolled pre/post design. Nurse leaders can adopt similar programming with scheduling support and floor coverage to reach shift-based staff at highest exposure.

DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice)

qigong; occupational stress; psychiatric nursing; hospitals, psychiatric; stress first aid

English

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2026-10-15