The American Nurses Foundation has announced five health systems as the recipients of mini-grants aimed at expanding the Nurse Well-Being: Building Peer and Leadership Support programme into rural and long-term care environments.

Each grant offers $10,000 to assist nurse-led teams implement the programme's online modules and resources in health systems and communities that encounter specific challenges.

The United Health Foundation is funding these grants, which will allow the teams at each facility to develop and implement customised nurse well-being programmes using the training materials available.

This initiative seeks to promote awareness and boost the use of these resources to alleviate burnout among nurses.

It also aims to foster a common terminology for discussing mental health, improve relationships between leaders and peers, and cultivate healthier work environments.

The five mini-grant recipients are Christian Health in Wyckoff, New Jersey; Southwestern Vermont Medical Center with Dartmouth Health in Bennington, Vermont; Weisbrod Health in Eads, Colorado; Providence Centralia Hospital in Washington; and Wesley Pines Retirement Community with Fayetteville State University in Lumberton, North Carolina.

The proposals from the health systems were chosen based on their alignment with project priorities and feasibility of their implementation plans.

The recipients commenced their work in July and are set to present their findings in December.

American Nurses Foundation executive director Graig Eastin said: “We recognise the quiet strength and relentless dedication of nurses working in rural and long-term care settings—often with limited support and immense emotional strain.

“At the American Nurses Foundation, we are deeply grateful to our kind partners at United Health Foundation for their generous investment in the nursing profession. These mini-grants represent more than just programme funding – it's a lifeline.”

The Nurse Well-Being: Building Peer and Leadership Support curriculum was launched in October 2024, funded by a three-year grant of $3.1m from the United Health Foundation.