Trusted Health and The Ohio State University College of Nursing Partner to Promote Mental and Emotional Health For Nurses on the Frontlines of the COVID-19 Crisis

Initiative Represents an Innovative First Step Towards Addressing Burnout and Associated Mental Health Issues Among Nurses

Trusted Health, the career platform for the modern nurse, and The Ohio State University College of Nursing today announced a new initiative to promote mental health and well-being among nurses on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. The program will be piloted with nurses in New York and Michigan -- two of the states hit hardest by the pandemic -- and rolled out nationwide in the coming weeks. 

Even before the current crisis hit, burnout among nurses has been at an all-time high, with some studies estimating that up to 63 percent of nurses exhibit symptoms such as job-induced stress, anxiety and depression. In addition, nurses are at increased risk of suicide, and more than half report being in suboptimal mental or physical health, which research shows can lead to more errors in caring for patients. The COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated this issue, as frontline nurses find themselves delivering care for a high volume of acutely ill patients, often in situations with limited crisis response training or supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE). 

Trusted and The Ohio State University have come together to help address this issue through a partnership that will provide access to wellness support and evidence-based strategies from nursing faculty and advanced practice nursing (APN) students from The Ohio State University College of Nursing. Nurses employed by Trusted who are working in facilities with COVID-19 patients will be able to access an emotional support line staffed by seasoned nurse practitioner faculty, including mental health experts, and supervised students. Those faculty and students will review stressors with callers and offer coping strategies and stress-reduction techniques.

Nurses who call the emotional support line may then opt to participate in a wellness support partnership program supported by the College of Nursing for a period of four or eight weeks. This will include cognitive-behavioral skills building, motivational interviewing and mindfulness techniques aimed at finding sustainable solutions to enhance the nurses’ health and well-being, both during the pandemic and for life.

“Our healthcare professionals on the frontlines of this pandemic deserve not only our highest regards for their selfless service, but also our support to handle what they are feeling and experiencing because of this crisis,” said Bernadette Mazurek Melnyk, PhD, APRN-CNP, EBP-C, FAANP, FNAP, FAAN, vice president for health promotion, university chief wellness officer and dean of the College of Nursing at Ohio State. “Our college’s faculty, staff and students participating in this effort are well-versed in evidence-based interventions that will not only help these nurses survive, but thrive and build the resilience needed to continue to provide high-quality care and save lives.”

“As a nurses-first company, Trusted was founded on a simple idea: Nurses are the backbone of our healthcare system, and we must do more to support them,” said Dan Weberg, PhD, RN, head of clinical innovation at Trusted. “The COVID-19 crisis has pushed this issue into the national consciousness, and we are committed to using this moment to advocate for and identify new ways to support the mental well-being of nurses not just on the frontlines, but everywhere.” 

Since the onset of COVID-19, Trusted has been focused on meeting the unprecedented demand for healthcare workers by matching nurses who have raised their hands to help with hospitals battling the pandemic. As a nurses-first company, Trusted was among the first to offer guaranteed quarantine pay for all of their nurses, and has made their Nurse Advocate team -- former bedside nurses who offer guidance throughout the job search process -- available 24/7 to support the needs of Trusted nurses working on the frontlines. Over the last several weeks, nearly 40,000 nurses have signed up via Trusted to work on the frontlines of the crisis. 

About Trusted Health

Trusted is where modern nurses go to build their careers. Nurses are the backbone of our healthcare system and yet their options for finding new roles are cumbersome and outdated. Trusted is on a mission to change this by matching the nurses on our platform with a range of flexible jobs that meet their preferences and career goals. With support from a dedicated Nurse Advocate and unmatched insight into compensation and contract details, Trusted makes it easy for nurses to navigate the job search process and manage their careers with confidence. 

Trusted supports hiring in all 50 states and has connected the nurses on its platform with thousands of opportunities. Based in San Francisco, CA, Trusted has raised $25 million in funding from Craft Ventures, Felicis Ventures, and Founder Collective, as well as healthcare innovators like Texas Medical Center and Healthbox. For more information, visit www.trustedhealth.com. 

About The Ohio State University College of Nursing

The Ohio State University College of Nursing exists to transform health and improve lives through top-tier teaching, research and innovation, grounded in evidence-based practice and a powerful culture and support system to foster optimal personal well-being.

The college’s nationally-ranked academic programs taught by world-class faculty offer top-notch programs for future and current nurses and healthcare leaders. U.S. News & World Report highly ranks our university-wide online bachelor’s including RN to BSN (#1), online master’s (#4), traditional master’s (#6) and online Doctor of Nursing Practice (#8). Majors include both nursing and programs in healthcare and wellness innovation, along with certificates that range from school nurse and primary care to nurse education and nurse/health coaching.

The college’s two research centers – the Martha S. Pitzer Center for Women, Children and Youth and the Center for Healthy Aging, Self-Management and Complex Care – seek innovative solutions to real-world healthcare issues. The college received approximately $10.7 million in research awards in FY2019, including $4.3 million in NIH funding – #6 among public institutions and #13 overall. Its Helene Fuld Health Trust National Institute for Evidence-based Practice (EBP) in Nursing and Healthcare promotes EBP worldwide and offers the first globally-recognized certificate of added qualification in EBP.