WIP 41 - The Use of Virtual Reality for Stress Reduction in PICU Healthcare Workers

Publication Number: WIP 41.7489

Joshua Moore, Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU, Henrico, VA, United States; Bethany Coyne, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States

Background: Stress occurs when environmental demands exceed an individual's ability to cope. Workplace stress arises when job demands don't match workers' resources or needs. Stress levels among healthcare workers (HCWs) were high before COVID-19 and have remained elevated since. Prolonged stress can lead to burnout, characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced professional efficacy. Burnout in nursing has increased from 40.6% in 2019 to 49.2%, costing the American healthcare system about $4.6 billion annually. Virtual Reality is an innovative technology that has shown efficacy in reducing stress in HCWs.

Objective: Virtual reality (VR) is an innovative tool for reducing stress in healthcare settings, based on a systematic literature review. The purpose of this project is to address the gap in literature on the practical implementation of an evidence-based, nature-based VR intervention in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). This project aims to develop a structured, sustainable workflow tailored for healthcare workers (HCWs), identify barriers to effective VR integration, and establish guidelines for seamless usage for stress reduction in HCWs.

Design/Methods: IRB Approval: This project received IRB exempt status. This project involved the integration of a nature-based VR intervention tailored for PICU healthcare workers to address stress within a high-acuity environment. The project included the following steps: Stakeholder Engagement, Super-User Training, Barrier Identification, and Implementation of the VR Intervention. Data collected from VR usage logs will be analyzed to identify themes in user experience and barriers to implementation. Quantitative data, including frequency of VR use and average time per session, will be analyzed using basic statistical measures (e.g., means, frequencies) to assess engagement levels. Timeline: 7/2024: Needs assessment, IRB exempt status, and stakeholder engagement. 8-9/2024: Super-user training, rollout of intervention. 10-11/2024: Data collection on usage patterns, 12/2024- 1/2025: Final analysis and evaluation