The specific well-being challenges this project aims to address are the consistent downplaying of personal needs and stress management in nurses and support staff. Approximately 92 percent of those surveyed at Good Shepherd have personally experienced or seen a coworker experience a work-related stressor in the past year. The project will contract with a local Qualified Mental Health Professional (QMHP) who will perform individual counseling sessions and lead group counseling sessions on-site with virtual options available.

The goal is for employees to develop personal coping mechanisms to handle workplace stressors. Good Shepherd Health Care System is a 501c3 non-profit, critical access hospital located in Hermiston, Oregon. The target audience is all nurses and support staff who work in this rural, under-resourced, and underrepresented location. Success will be determined if the project shows a clear connection between counseling sessions and increased employee well-being. The intended ultimate goal is to continuously improve project participant well-being throughout the 24-month grant and far beyond its completion.