The RISE (Resilience in Stressful Events) Peer Support Program: Creating a Virtuous Cycle of Healthcare Leadership Support for Staff Resilience and Well-Being

Healthcare leaders are responsible for creating an environment where their staff can maintain their resilience and well-being. However, there is a crisis of burnout among healthcare workers. The resulting increased turnover, diminished morale and performance, safety risks, and decreased worker engagement produces a vicious cycle of burnout. A strategic intervention is needed that focuses on worker wellbeing. This paper describes how the Johns Hopkins Resilience In Stressful Events (RISE) peer support program has helped healthcare leaders support their workers and strengthen the resilience of their organization. It explains the crucial role that leaders play in the success of the program. RISE peer was established at Johns Hopkins Hospital in 2011 to provide timely peer support for stressful patient and work-related situations. RISE helps break the cycle of healthcare worker burnout by providing peer support for stresses at work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This program structure also supports leaders by sharing the responsibility of emotional support and by providing them with new skills to do their job in a way that generates personal and professional satisfaction. The program has been implemented globally in over 140 healthcare organizations. Leaders are essential to integrate support and serve as role models. Institutions that successfully launch peer support programs engage leaders to participate in program design, participate in the program themselves, and adapt the program to meet the needs of their staff and organization. Peer support programs broaden the base of support for all healthcare workers by providing an employee-focused resource. Implementation of a RISE support model demonstrates an institution’s commitment to the overall health of the people it employs. Operational integration of the model conveys a positive impact on resilience at all levels of the organization, especially in institutions that broadly engage organizational leaders.