Title : B.A.S.E.-Burnout Awareness, Support, and Empowerment: A nurse well-being program
Abstract:
Background: Nurse burnout poses a significant threat to workforce stability, quality of care, and patient safety, particularly in rural and long-term care settings where staffing shortages, emotional labor, and limited access to support resources are common. Evidence-informed, scalable interventions are needed to support nurse well-being in these underserved environments.
Purpose: The purpose of this project was to implement and evaluate Burnout Awareness, Support, and Empowerment (BASE), a nurse well-being initiative designed to address occupational stress and promote professional resilience within a rural continuing care retirement community.
Methods: A continuing care retirement community in rural Robeson County, North Carolina, was awarded a mini-grant from the American Nurses Foundation (ANF) as part of a national effort to expand the Nurse Well-Being: Building Peer and Leadership Support program into rural and long-term care settings. The BASE initiative was implemented in collaboration with faculty from the School of Nursing at Fayetteville State University and was guided by evidence-based principles of peer support, leadership engagement, and environmental modification.
Intervention: Key components of the BASE initiative included leadership-supported education on burnout recognition, peer support strategies, and access to wellness resources. A central intervention involved the development of a dedicated nurse recharge room designed to provide a restorative space for stress reduction, reflection, and emotional regulation during work shifts. Grant funds supported renovation, furnishings, and training materials aligned with the ANF Nurse Well-Being curriculum.
Results: Early implementation findings indicate strong engagement among nursing staff and leadership, consistent use of the recharge space, and positive nurse-reported perceptions of organizational support and workplace well-being.
Implications for Practice: As the sole continuing care retirement community serving rural Robeson County, Wesley Pines provides a critical context for examining nurse well-being interventions in underserved environments. The BASE project demonstrates the feasibility and potential impact of nurse-led, grant-funded well-being initiatives in long-term care and rural settings and offers a scalable model to support nurse well-being, retention, and resilience in resource-limited healthcare environments.
