Wellness and Stress Management Practices Among Healthcare Professionals and Health Professional Students

Purpose : Healthcare professionals experience stressors that begin during training and persist into their careers that adversely impact their well-being. This study aims to identify students' and professionals' stress levels, satisfaction with wellness domains, barriers to wellness, and stress management practices. Design: This study was a cross-sectional self-reported survey study. Settings and Sample The study included students (N = 242) and professionals (N = 237) from medicine, nursing, pharmacy, physical therapy, social work, and counseling/psychology. Measures: The Managing Health & Wellness in Health Professions Training and Practice survey was used to capture wellness practices and barriers among participants. Results: Students reported significantly higher perceived stress compared to professionals (P < 0.001). Total wellness is significantly higher among professionals compared to students (P < 0.001). A higher stress rate is significantly related to being female, having a lower wellness score, and facing more barriers (P < 0.001). Intellectual health is the most valuable wellness domain for providers (M = 3.71, SD = 0.9) and students (M = 3.43, SD = 0.85), followed by spiritual health for providers (M = 3.4, SD = 1.1), and work/learning environment for students (M = 3.33, SD = 0.93). Professionals and students are least satisfied with their physical and financial health. Barriers include fatigue, workload/productivity in clinical practice, work hours, and burnout. Conclusions: Healthcare professionals exhibit a variety of stress management practices, encounter barriers, and prioritize different wellness domains. Healthcare systems should incorporate self-care education into their curricula and implement systemic changes to foster a thriving healthcare workforce.