The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

The Oregon Center for Nursing (OCN) recently granted $50,000 to Partners In Care to support development of a program aimed at increasing wellness for hospice and home health nurses.

The Care for the Caregivers program starting at Partners In Care is aimed at increasing the well-being of hospice and home health nurses, reducing burnout, and ultimately improving patient outcomes. This system-level environmental intervention addresses the high levels of stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue experienced by nurses by offering a series of inclusive wellness workshops and a wellness stipend. These resources aim to enable nurses to prioritize self-care and increase their well-being activities to prevent the negative impact of stress on their overall health.

“I am beyond excited and grateful that Partners In Care has been chosen to receive a grant from the Oregon Center for Nursing. We can’t wait to begin our project- Care for the Caregivers: A Holistic Approach to Wellness for Home Health and Hospice Nurses,” said Jodi Bigness, BSN, RN, CHPN, Hospice Nursing Supervisor. “This is a great opportunity for our nurses to learn new ways to practice self-care while also bringing our teams together. I know that caring for ourselves first can only make us better at caring for others, but sometimes we all need to be reminded of that.”

The project’s implementation across Central Oregon, including low-income and rural areas with limited healthcare, emphasizes the project’s critical nature.