Fil-Am prof’s study leads to $135K grant for nurses’ wellness program

Riza V. Mauricio, PhD, is assistant professor at Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston. UTHealth

A Filipino American assistant professor of nursing’s study showing a disproportionate number of deaths and high levels of stress among Filipino nurses during the Covid pandemic has resulted in a $135,271 grant toward an Emotional Wellness program for Filipino American nurses.

The grant will bolster the Kabalikat Emotional Wellness program designed to reach Filipino American nurses with peer-to-peer support led by trained facilitators. These facilitators are registered nurses and chapter leaders of the Philippine Nurses Association of America.

Riza V. Mauricio, PhD, APRN, CPNP-PC/AC, FCCM, assistant professor at Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston, Texas, recently studied how the pandemic has impacted Filipino American nurses.

Besides high death rates from Covid, nurses showed high rates of burnout, anxiety, and depression among, according a report by Laura Frnka Davis in UTHealth of the Clark School of Nursing.

“COVID-19 has underscored the vital need to provide our nurses with the necessary coping strategies to manage their mental health effectively,” Mauricio told UTHealth.

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As a result of her study, the Cizik School of Nursing, in conjunction with the Philippine Nurses Association of America (PNAA), received the grant through the “ALL IN: WellBeing First for Healthcare” campaign.

“Our research has shown that peer-to-peer intervention is much more effective in reaching the Filipino culture than a lecture or presentation,” said Mauricio.

“Providing a mechanism for these nurses to hold an open dialogue about their thoughts, feelings, and emotions with others going through similar experiences may help nurses as they continue to manage in the age of COVID,” Mauricio added.

Mauricio explained that initiatives like the Kabalikat Wellness program are important for sustaining Filipino nurses in the work force long-term, especially because nursing is a popular career choice among Filipino American families.

ALL IN: WellBeing for First Healthcare is a coalition of leading health care organizations developed by #FirstRespondersFirst and The Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation to address the mental and well-being issues among the health care workforce.

Three other organizations received part of the initial $500,000 awarded by the ALL IN program. By the year-end, ALL IN is committed to giving $1 million to support the expansion or launch of well-being programs in health care across the country.