HeartMath's Resilience Advantage program has been incorporated into three new second-semester nursing courses for pre-licensure students (N11 for ABSN, N104 for BSN, and N503 for ELMSN) and approved by the University Curriculum Committee. Specific tools presented were:
1) Heart-focused Breathing; 2) Quick Coherence; 3) Heart Lock-in; 4) Freeze Frame; 5) Coherent Communication; 6) Inner-Ease; and 7) Depleting & Renewing Emotions Grid.
Students were expected to attend class and write a reflection at the end of the course. The directions were:
As part of the RN2BSN program, we introduced a brief 1-2 minute centering exercise at the beginning and/or end of classes. Faculty members were given the freedom to select any type of centering activity that resonated with them. Additionally, students, all of whom had previously completed the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program, were invited to take on leadership roles in facilitating these centering exercises.
Course policies are intended to support all learning outcomes. Most courses in the RN2BSN program include some version of the following policies. They strive to seek a balance between authentic presence, professional agency, sufficient rigor, and demands in the workplace.
Early in the RN2BSN program, the faculty noticed that students tended to "dump" problems on faculty and expect them to come up with solutions. Most of us were taught not to elevate an issue without recommending a solution. We had great mentors who demonstrated how to respond to such situations with genuine appreciation for raising concerns.
Our primary purposes were to strengthen professional agency and strengthen their "voice". We often made changes in policies or process based on these SBARS, so that students eventually understood that we took them seriously.
An AACN Caring Culture Faculty Fellowship was established in Spring 2023 to develop the College of Nursing's capacity for developing a Unitary Caring Science culture and a standardized curriculum across three pre-licensure programs (ABSN, BSN, ELMSN) linked to the AACN competencies in leadership, resilience, self-care, and well-being. Two faculty fellows were selected from the Sacramento campus. The fellows participated in a professional development program to extend the work done by Drs. MacIntyre, Hollingsworth (PIs), and Beck (Co-I). Two faculty fellows, one Nursing Faculty of Tomorrow Fellow, and two faculty leads did a deep dive into Unitary Caring Science, HeartMath, and MBSR and completed a mapping project for the sub-competencies outlined in the AACN Essentials. Both fellows completed the program with distinction and are influencing perceptions of Unitary Caring Science, MBSR, and HeartMath and assisting them with ongoing mapping of the sub-competencies.
Location: Oakland, CA
School Type: Private School
Partner: Kaiser Permanente
Faculty Contact: Richard MacIntyre