Are you a nurse in West Virginia that is looking for some extra support? Birchwood has partnered with the WV Board of Nursing to provide support to nurses throughout the State of West Virginia. We have two program:
- West Virginia Early Career Nurses (0-3 years of experience)
- Support groups for nurses within the first 3 years of experience provides a safe place for you to connect with others just like you. You can discuss the challenges of being a new nurse in the post-pandemic world.
- West Virginia Nurses (4+ years of experience)
- Meet with nurses throughout the State of West Virginia and learn that you are not alone. The last 2 years has changed all of us. Whether you are experiencing burnout, challenges with work-life balance, or just need some advice, join your peers in this safe and confidential environment.
Learn More about the Early Career Nurse Program Below
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 for early-career nurses (nurses in the first three (3) years of practice) as they transition from an academic setting to a professional healthcare workplace. By offering this opportunity, the BON and employers demonstrate their awareness of the challenges experienced by the early-career 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 Early-Career Nurse Support Groups is to explore how attending and participating in a support group led by n 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.
- 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 early-career nurses and provide self-care and coping skills to decrease burnout and increase retention of early-career nurses.
- Demonstrate to the early-career nurse that they are not alone so they can explore a reason to stay.
How to Participate
If you are interested in joining a support group, please register here
- Please allow up to 48 business hours for your registration to be processed.
- Once your enrollment has been processed, a member of our staff will contact your via email regarding next steps. Please check your spam folder if you do not see communication from Birchwood Solutions Support within 48-72 hours.
If you have any questions, please email support@birchwoodsolutions.net or call 855.313.2457.
Facilitate a Group
If you are a nurse interested in hosting a support group, please contact eeaton@birchwoodsolutions.net
FAQ’s
Frequently Asked Questions
Support groups are a group of people, in this case, nurses, meeting to share information, experiences, problems, and seek solutions. The BWS facilitator makes sure that the environment is welcoming, validates feelings, and encourages everyone to express emotions openly and give and get encouragement.
Attending and regularly participating in a support group with attendees with similar situations provides an opportunity to validate feelings, express emotions opening, and get encouragement and understanding without judgment. By delivering and receiving comfort and motivation, you can improve the well-being of others and yourself. Often this strengthens and empowers you.
Yes! Confidentiality is a priority. All participants in the group must agree to the terms of participation, which include a detailed confidentiality statement. Anything discussed in the group will remain within the group.
Confidentiality in the group is rule number one and is a shared responsibility of all attendees, the facilitator, and BWS employees. Confidentiality includes, but is not limited to, physical descriptions, biological information, and specifics to the content of interactions with group members. By maintaining everyone’s confidentiality, you demonstrate to your colleagues a level of common courtesy by protecting their information, but you also show your trustworthiness.
There is no cost for you to attend if you are a nurse with three years or less professional work experience.
- When – A meeting schedule is available online (include link). BWS will create new groups as interest warrants.
- Where – All meetings are virtually using the zoom format, and an experienced BWS facilitator leads meetings.
- Frequency – The meeting sessions are weekly for one hour.
Your participation in the support group is confidential unless you authorize BWS to release specific information.
Customer support: Email: support@carefornurses.com or phone 855-313- 2457.