Beyond Burnout: A Strategic Bet on Nursing's Future

SILVER SPRING, MD – November 24, 2025 – The American Nurses Foundation (ANF) recently announced five recipients of $10,000 mini-grants, a move that might seem modest against the backdrop of the multi-trillion-dollar U.S. healthcare industry. However, this initiative, funded by the United Health Foundation, represents a highly strategic and scalable approach to tackling one of the most persistent threats to healthcare stability: crippling nurse burnout. By targeting the often-overlooked sectors of rural and long-term care, this program is more than a lifeline; it’s a calculated investment in workforce resilience and a test case for cultural transformation within healthcare's most challenging environments.

The Anatomy of a Systemic Crisis

The nursing profession is in a state of quiet crisis. Beyond the headlines of workforce shortages, a deeper malaise of burnout and moral injury threatens to unravel the very fabric of patient care. Recent industry data paints a stark picture: a 2025 report revealed that a staggering 65% of nurses experience high levels of stress and burnout. More alarmingly, Nurse.com's 2024 data indicates that nearly one in four nurses is actively considering leaving the profession, a trend that could exacerbate a projected deficit of up to 450,000 nurses in the U.S. by next year.

This crisis is not evenly distributed. It hits hardest in settings where resources are scarcest and professional isolation is most profound. In rural areas, nurses often contend with a wider scope of practice, fewer support staff, and a patient population with a higher prevalence of chronic illness. States like Colorado, home to mini-grant recipient Weisbrod Health, face significant mental health provider shortages in rural counties, compounding the strain on frontline caregivers. Similarly, the long-term care sector is a pressure cooker of high demand and low supply. In North Carolina, where recipient Wesley Pines Retirement Community operates, a severe caregiver shortage is colliding with a rapidly aging population, creating an environment ripe for burnout and staff turnover. These are not isolated problems but systemic vulnerabilities that directly impact care quality and access for millions of Americans.

A Proactive, Evidence-Based Intervention

In this context, the ANF's 'Nurse Well-Being: Building Peer and Leadership Support' program emerges as a critical tool. Developed with a three-year, $3.1 million grant from the United Health Foundation awarded in 2022, the curriculum is a departure from reactive, individual-focused wellness initiatives. Instead, it offers a proactive, systemic solution designed to reshape organizational culture.

The program's framework is built on the Stress First Aid (SFA) model, a peer-support and self-care methodology originally developed for high-stress professions like the military. It provides a shared language for discussing mental health, destigmatizes seeking help, and equips nurse leaders to support their teams effectively. The results from the initial pilot phase, conducted at four major health systems including Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist and BayCare Health System, are compelling. After just six months, participating nurses reported a 28% decrease in burnout. Perhaps more importantly, there was a 55% improvement in their perception of supervisor support, signaling a tangible shift in workplace dynamics.

"We recognize the quiet strength and relentless dedication of nurses working in rural and long-term care settings—often with limited support and immense emotional strain," said Graig R. Eastin, Executive Director of the American Nurses Foundation. He noted the grants represent "more than just program funding – it's a lifeline." By providing free, evidence-based tools, the program empowers nurse-led teams to build resilience from within, fostering an environment where well-being is treated as an operational imperative, not a personal responsibility.

The Power of Strategic Philanthropy

The collaboration between the ANF and the United Health Foundation is a prime example of strategic philanthropy in action. This is not a simple act of charity but a calculated investment in critical healthcare infrastructure—its human capital. The United Health Foundation, the philanthropic arm of UnitedHealth Group, has committed over $845 million to health and healthcare initiatives since its inception, including a targeted 10-year, $100 million commitment to growing and diversifying the healthcare workforce.

By funding the initial development and now the targeted expansion of the Nurse Well-Being program, the foundation is betting on a scalable model. The $10,000 mini-grants are not meant to solve every problem for the recipient facilities. Instead, they act as seed capital and a catalyst, providing the dedicated resources needed to plan, launch, and embed the program's principles into daily operations. This approach recognizes that sustainable change requires both a proven toolkit and localized implementation led by those who understand the unique challenges of their environment.

This partnership demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of how to drive change. Rather than creating a new program from scratch, the United Health Foundation identified and funded a nurse-led organization, the ANF, to develop a solution by nurses, for nurses. This ensures credibility and adoption. Now, by funding its expansion into the most vulnerable sectors, they are pressure-testing its adaptability and gathering crucial data—the five recipient sites are scheduled to share findings in December—that can inform a nationwide rollout, ultimately maximizing the return on their initial $3.1 million investment.

Seeding Resilience in Vulnerable Communities

The selection of the five mini-grant recipients—Weisbrod Health in Colorado, Christian Health in New Jersey, Southwestern Vermont Medical Center, Wesley Pines in North Carolina, and Providence Centralia Hospital in Washington—is a map of where this support is needed most. Each represents a front line in the battle against healthcare disparity. Providence Centralia, for instance, is a Critical Access Hospital, a designation for facilities that are essential safety nets in rural communities. Wesley Pines and Christian Health operate in the demanding long-term care space, a sector where staff stability is paramount for resident well-being.

By deploying this proven well-being curriculum in these specific environments, the ANF and United Health Foundation are doing more than just supporting nurses; they are fortifying the pillars of community health. A more resilient, stable, and supported nursing staff in a rural hospital or a long-term care facility translates directly to better, more consistent patient care. This initiative is a powerful demonstration that investing in the well-being of healthcare professionals is not a peripheral expense but a core strategy for ensuring the long-term health of the entire system.