Digital Interventions to Understand and Mitigate Stress Response

Digital Interventions to Understand and Mitigate Stress Response: Process & Content Evaluation to Move From Feasibility (SRL-4) to Simulated Demonstration (SRL-6)

Stress, anxiety, distress, and burnout are exceptionally high among healthcare workers at the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic. The understanding of factors underlying distress and resilience in complex workplace contexts is limited, and there are limited evidence-based interventions for stress and moral distress among frontline healthcare workers. The purpose of this study is to use a Digital Intervention Suite (a combination of Virtual Reality [VR], a web-based platform, and a wearable [Oura Ring]) to understand and reduce the experience of stress/distress faced by nursing professionals.

The purpose of this study is to use a Digital Intervention Suite (a combination of Virtual Reality [VR], a web-based platform, and a wearable [Oura Ring]) to understand and reduce the experience of stress/distress faced by nursing professionals. This study involves participation in an in-person VR setup and the use of an app and a wearable device over the duration of the study (14+ weeks). The immersive VR component of the study involves a virtual experience of navigating a challenging workplace scenario to understand stress response and provide an overview of interventions that can be used to reduce workplace stress. Upon completion of the in-person VR visit, participants will continue to use the app and the wearable for the study duration to understand stress responses in their actual workplaces. Participants will have real-time access to their essential data on wellness collected through the app and wearable (e.g., sleep, activity, physiological signals, anxiety symptoms). The Digital Intervention Suite (combined use of these three components: VR, app, and wearable) is essential for a thorough understanding of stress and moral distress. This is a de-identified study, and the team will only have access to de-identified data for analysis at the end of the study.

Inclusion criteria:

1. Registered nurses (RNs) or registered practical nurses (RPNs) who are currently employed at a healthcare institution in Ontario.
2. Ownership of a smartphone.

Exclusion criteria:

1. History of seizures (except febrile seizure).
2. Use of electronic medical devices (e.g., cardiac pacemakers, hearing aids, and defibrillators).
3. A score of ≥ 15 on the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale
4. A score of ≥ 20 on the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9).