The West Virginia Board of Nursing would like to announce another initiative through the WV Nurse Health Program (NHP).   The NHP has launched guided, facilitator-led, peer support groups and online community for all nurses in West Virginia. By offering this opportunity, the BON and employers demonstrate their awareness of the challenges nurses experience in the nurse workplace.

Purpose

In December 2021, West Virginia Governor Jim Justice committed $48 million to aggressively address West Virginia’s nursing workforce shortage through a multi-pronged plan to attract, train, and retain nurses in the Mountain State. The purpose of the Care for Nurses Community and Support Groups is to explore how attending and participating in a support group led by an experienced facilitator will improve job satisfaction, resulting in an improved retention rate.  The program is funded through the Governor’s Nursing Workforce Expansion Program.

Goals and Objectives

The objectives are:

• Promote skills for early-career nurses to adjust to the healthcare workplace by providing emotional and psychological support by attending professionally facilitated groups.

• Provide emotional and psychological support for all nurses in West Virginia to address nurse retention and burnout.

• Establish a safe (confidential) environment where nurses can openly talk about their workplace experiences, frustrations, struggles, and challenges.

The goals will be to:

• Reduce the early-career nurse’s workplace negative perceptions by exploring favorable resolutions to their frustrations, struggles, and challenges in a safe environment.

• To understand and address the experiences of West Virginia nurses and provide self-care and coping skills to decrease burnout and increase retention of nurses.

• Demonstrate to the WV nurse that they are not alone so they can explore a reason to stay.