UNMC grant to improve mental health in nurses

$2.2 million is being invested into mental health programs for nurses all across the state.

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – To illustrate burnout in nurses, here’s a troubling fact: nine of Nebraska’s counties, generally in the west half of the state, have zero registered nurses.

You’d think things might be turning around now that the pandemic is quieting down, but unfortunately, that’s not the case.

“That’s when you start to see some of the anxiety and stress and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms start to develop”, explains Nebraska Center for Nursing Board Chair Lisa Walters. “It’s not usually during the middle of the crisis, it’s when it’s over.”

A $2.2 million grant secured by the University of Nebraska Medical Center could, however, turn things around.

Walters describes the plan: “We are going to be targeting frontline nurses, advanced practice nurses who work in mental health, and undergraduate and graduate nursing students to start working on resiliency-based maneuvers that will help them to be stronger when dealing with traumatic events.”

There’s a big focus on rural healthcare providers as well, given a distinct lack of mental health resources in many parts of Nebraska.

“The counties and tribal reservations are at great risk for not having the services that are needed when people seek mental health treatment”, says Walters.

The problems are certainly many, but this grant has the potential to bring real healing to nurses, rather than a quick fix. Things start very soon, with a pilot program in four rural Nebraska hospitals this summer. From there, the programs will be developed, tweaked, and finalized, using input from nurses. Eventually, it will roll out across the state.