Beyond critical incidents: An emergency nurse's proactive approach to sustainable peer support

Background: The purpose of peer support is to “formalize emotional, social, and practical support between colleagues who share common experiences”. Peer support is a voluntary short-term intervention that involves active listening, validation through empathy, and assistance to connect with mental health professionals when indicated. The Red Deer Regional Hospital Emergency Department Peer Support Team was initiated as a Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) team in 2012, by a group of nurses interested in providing post-incident group support to their peers. In 2021, the group expanded and recognized that there was an opportunity for including individualized and proactive support as well as the post-incident group support already being offered. Through the shift to a peer support model, the team of volunteer peer supporters grew and became more active within the department, gaining interest from other departments within the site, zone, and province. The increased interest created demand for increased time allocation by the team members, which created challenges due to the voluntary nature of the role. The RDRH Peer Support pilot project was created to address these challenges. Methods: The approach used for implementation of the Red Deer Regional site peer support pilot project began with a review of Alberta Health Services Peer Support Framework and other published guiding peer support documents and research. There were direct connections and consultations with other peer support organizations provincially and nationally. Utilization of the available publications and advice from other teams performing similar work guided the approach used for implementation of the pilot project. Results: The results achieved according to the goals and objectives of the RDRH Peer Support Program included expansion of the capacity of the total site peer support program, formalizing and standardization of training for peer supporters, mental health awareness and education for all staff, collaboration and integration with other teams within the zone and province, and a move towards long-term sustainability. Implications and lessons learned: There is still a significant amount of room for growth. There are units and departments that do not have peer supporters on the team, but this may shift as awareness and overall utilization increases. Another route of support includes re-integration support for those interested in additional support as they return to work to help bridge any gap between employer and union support during the re-integration process. With the expansion of the team, there needs to be a strategy developed to address access to peer support for healthcare workers. Best practice indicates there should always be peer support available to staff while on shift, while decreasing risk of burnout to peer support team members.