title: Snack and Relax®: A Strategy to Address Nurses' Professional Quality of Life.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Snack and Relax® (S&R), a program providing healthy snacks and holistic relaxation modalities to hospital employees, was evaluated for immediate impact. A cross-sectional survey was then conducted to assess the professional quality of life (ProQOL) in registered nurses (RNs); compare S&R participants/nonparticipants on compassion satisfaction (CS), burnout, and secondary traumatic stress (STS); and identify situations in which RNs experienced compassion fatigue or burnout and the strategies used to address these situations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pre- and post vital signs and self-reported stress were obtained from S&R attendees (N = 210). RNs completed the ProQOL Scale measuring CS, burnout, and STS (N = 158).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant decreases in self-reported stress, respirations, and heart rate were found immediately after S&R. Low CS was noted in 28.5% of participants, 25.3% had high burnout, and 23.4% had high STS. S&R participants and nonparticipants did not differ on any of the ProQOL scales. Situations in which participants experienced compassion fatigue/burnout were categorized as patient-related, work-related, and personal/family-related. Strategies to address these situations were holistic and stress reducing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Providing holistic interventions such as S&R for nurses in the workplace may alleviate immediate feelings of stress and provide a moment of relaxation in the workday.
authors.affiliation: Norton Audubon Hospital.
authors.forename: Perpetua
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Markwell
authors.affiliation: University of Louisville School of Nursing barbara.polivka@louisville.edu.
authors.forename: Barbara J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Polivka
authors.affiliation: Norton Women's Hospital/Kosair Children's Hospital-St. Matthews.
authors.forename: Katrina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.affiliation: Norton Hospital.
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ryan
authors.affiliation: Cape Fear Valley Medical Center.
authors.forename: Annetra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000523:psychology*; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011788:Quality of Life; D012063:Relaxation / Q000523:psychology*; D062410:Snacks; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017132:Workplace / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: caring-healing practices and processes; health promotion; holistic nursing; nurses (basic); quality of life; stress management/relaxation