Ignite Creation Date:
2025-12-24 @ 12:41 PM
Ignite Modification Date:
2025-12-29 @ 5:55 PM
Study NCT ID:
NCT04682561
Status:
COMPLETED
Last Update Posted:
2025-04-25
First Post:
2020-12-22
Is Gene Therapy:
True
Has Adverse Events:
False
Brief Title:
STEP: Building Trauma Resilience Among Nurses and Personal Support Workers During and Beyond COVID-19
Sponsor:
Unity Health Toronto
Organization:
Study Overview
Official Title:
The STEP Program: Building Trauma Resilience Among Nurses and Personal Support Workers Across Ontario During and Beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic
Status:
COMPLETED
Status Verified Date:
2024-08
Last Known Status:
None
Delayed Posting:
No
If Stopped, Why?:
Not Stopped
Has Expanded Access:
False
If Expanded Access, NCT#:
N/A
Has Expanded Access, NCT# Status:
N/A
Acronym:
None
Brief Summary:
The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the need for skills training and mental health support for healthcare workers who are exposed to the numerous stressors and potential trauma of a high-risk environment. This context is associated with significant impacts on mental health, including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress, with nurses and personal support workers (PSWs) being disproportionately impacted. The proposed STEP program is an intervention that aims to equip nurses and PSWs with the skills and support needed to promote their wellness and navigate the challenges of experiencing trauma in a high-risk, high-stress environment, which has been exacerbated by the pandemic. As such, the STEP intervention has the potential to improve trauma resilience and mental health among nurses and PSW, which may ultimately improve patient care and benefit the hospital system during and even beyond the pandemic. The results from this study will also provide vital insight into promising interventions for healthcare workers that are accessible and scalable.
Detailed Description:
Conducting work where exposure to trauma occurs requires specific resources and skillsets to manage the immense mental and emotional side effects that can arise. Notably, some nurses and personal support workers (PSWs) deal with trauma on a regular basis, yet often do not have access to such training. It is not surprising, then, that estimates of compassion fatigue and burnout are a staggering 40-60% among healthcare workers, This has been shown to have direct negative effects on personal wellness, patient care, workplace functioning, and the hospital system. Factors that contribute to compassion fatigue include being exposed to another's suffering and stressful work environments. Notably, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these factors. Furthermore, reduced staffing, increased exposure to trauma, and enhanced perceptions of workplace threat during a pandemic are additional factors that have been shown to significantly impact the mental health and wellness of frontline workers. The need for adequate supports for these frontline workers is essential during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. The vast majority of workplace-based organizational interventions for mental health concerns among healthcare workers are delivered in a group setting, primarily focused on psychoeducation and stress reduction techniques.Very few programs include a component involving one-on-one psychotherapy with a licensed therapist, and when offered, it is typically an event-triggered counselling session (i.e., a therapist is made available to a participant in the case where they experience a traumatic stressor at work, such as a bereavement case or managing a patient with traumatic injury. Numerous editorials have been published since the start of the pandemic calling for mental health support for healthcare workers. Among the supportive measures that have been consistently recommended in these reports are the following: provide education on stress and mental health to validate experience; offer stress management, resilience and coping skills training; incorporate debriefing practices; facilitate morale boosting; and offer psychological support through a licensed therapist. We have developed the Supportive Trauma Exposure Preparation (STEP) program to address these unmet critical needs and suggested recommendations. The STEP program is an 8-week psychotherapy intervention designed to teach concepts, skills and coping strategies to healthcare workers with the aim of improving mental health and building resilience in the face of trauma/stress exposure in the healthcare workplace setting. This is a pilot study exploring the effectiveness and feasibility/acceptability of the STEP intervention in reducing burnout, building resilience and improving mental health outcomes for nurses and personal support workers in Ontario. The STEP program has the potential to be widely accessible and fit the demanding work schedule of healthcare workers. Such a program would be useful even beyond the pandemic, given the nature of the healthcare providers' work and what is known about the high prevalence and consequences of stress and compassion fatigue in the pre-COVID-19 pandemic context.
Study Oversight
Has Oversight DMC:
False
Is a FDA Regulated Drug?:
False
Is a FDA Regulated Device?:
False
Is an Unapproved Device?:
None
Is a PPSD?:
None
Is a US Export?:
False
Is an FDA AA801 Violation?: