Digital Interventions to Understand and Mitigate Stress Response

Thank you for expressing interest in our study, “Digital Interventions to Understand and Mitigate Stress Response” 

Study Email: dndphase2@ippregistry.ca 

If you are interested in participating in this study, please review the following information below:

Overview: 

The purpose of this study is to use a Digital Intervention Suite (a combination of Virtual Reality-VR, a web-based platform, and a wearable-Oura Ring) to understand and reduce the experience of stress/distress faced by nursing professionals.

The purpose of this study is to use a Digital Intervention Suite (a combination of Virtual Reality-VR, a web-based platform, and a wearable-Oura Ring) to understand and reduce the experience of stress/distress faced by nursing professionals.

Stress, anxiety, distress, and burnout are exceptionally high among healthcare workers at the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding factors underlying distress and resilience in complex workplace contexts are limited, and there are limited evidence-based interventions for stress and moral distress among frontline healthcare workers. 

The purpose of this study is to use a Digital Intervention Suite (a combination of Virtual Reality-VR, a web-based platform, and a wearable-Oura Ring) to understand and reduce the experience of stress/distress faced by nursing professionals. This study involves participation in an in-person VR set up and use of an app and a wearable over the duration of the study (14+ weeks). The immersive VR component of the study involves a virtual experience of navigating a challenging workplace scenario to understand stress response and provide an overview of interventions that can be used to reduce workplace stress. Upon completion of the in-person VR visit, participants will continue to use the app and the wearable for the study duration to understand stress response in their actual workplaces. Participants will have real-time access to their essential data on wellness collected through the app and wearable (e.g., sleep, activity, physiological signals, anxiety symptoms). The Digital Intervention Suite (combined use of these three components: VR, app, and wearable) is essential for a thorough understanding of stress and moral distress. This is a de-identified study, and the team will only have access to de-identified data for analysis at the end of the study.

Eligibility: 

  • Registered nurses (RNs) or registered practical nurses (RPNs), aged 18+, who are currently employed at a healthcare institution in Ontario.
  • Ownership of a smartphone.

Time Commitment:

  • You must attend one (1) in-person screening appointment (approx. 1hr) in downtown Toronto
  • You must wear an Oura Ring every day for the duration of the study (14+ weeks) to track physiological changes
  • You must answer online surveys three (3) times per week (Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays) for the duration of the study (14+ weeks). These should not take longer than 15 minutes.
  • You must attend one (1) in-person Virtual Reality (VR) session (approx. 1hr) in downtown Toronto
  • You must participate in one (1) online Zoom exit interview at the end of the study

Compensation will be provided for in-person visits. You may receive up to $370 CAD and may be eligible to keep the Oura Ring (valued at approximately 415$ USD) upon full study participation.

If you are interested in participating and you meet the above criteria, please complete the following contact form and a member of our study team will contact you for the next steps. 

PLEASE NOTE THAT IF YOU DO NOT MEET THE CRITERIA ABOVE, YOU ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE.