The New Jersey Nursing Well-Being Institute has hosted over 90 Virtual Schwartz Rounds (VSR) sessions in the past three years, offering a flexible, free forum where nurses can connect with peers.
According to VSR session registration data, about 40% of nurses who register for a VSR session attend it. The most common reasons for not attending include time conflicts and forgetting about the session.
To understand how participating nurses utilize the VSR program, two surveys were launched in April 2024: a retrospective survey targeting nurses who registered before April 23, 2024, and a concurrent survey targeting those who attended sessions after that date. Both surveys used nearly identical questionnaires to ensure consistency. It was found that participants in both surveys were similar in age, race, gender, type of nursing license, and their ratings of the VSR program’s effectiveness. The typical nurse participant in both surveys was a White woman in her mid- to late 50s with an RN license.
Results indicate that among former VSR participants, 66% attended only one to four sessions, suggesting that most nurses leave the program after just a few sessions. Only 9% of former participants attended 10 or more sessions. In contrast, 19% of current VSR participants have attended 10 or more sessions, indicating a more engaged group. Additionally, about 28% of the nurses in each current session were new to the VSR program, highlighting a steady influx of new participants.
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