April 2026 Honoree
Connecticut Nurse Wellness Project
Dr. Wendy Garvin Mayo, DNP, APRN, ANP-BC • Dr. Stacy Bentil, DNP, MSN, RN • Mahleywa Parish-Some • Dr. Rosale C. Lobo, PhD, RN, CNS, LNC • Tory Murtha • Leslie Lapointe, MSN, APRN, CPNP, CHSE • Jessica Carlson, RN • Heather Bezerra, MSN, RN • Natacha Campbell • Sarah-Lee Marshall, RN • Rebecca Greenawalt, BSN, RN • Roseann Sillasen, RN • Cheryl Field, RN, MSN • Tandi Kuwana, RN • Kayla Bennett, MSN, RN, CNL • Michelle Rusted, PA
The Connecticut Nurse Wellness Project (CTNWP) is a nurse-led, statewide initiative founded and directed by Dr. Wendy Garvin Mayo, DNP, APRN, ANP-BC. The initiative is supported by a 15-member interdisciplinary advisory board representing healthcare systems, academic institutions, nursing students, workforce organizations, and community stakeholders.
The Connecticut Nurse Wellness Project (CTNWP) is a scalable, nurse-led workforce infrastructure initiative powered by the WenWell™ Framework, which centers on Capacity, Safety, and Connection as essential conditions for workforce sustainability. This approach aligns with evidence emphasizing that workforce well-being must be addressed at the system level, not solely through individual strategies (U.S. Surgeon General, 2022).
The initiative is grounded in three pillars: (1) Listening through psychologically safe engagement, (2) Building cross-sector partnerships, and (3) Collecting and translating data into action.
This work began with the State of Nurse Wellness Roundtable, where nurses identified a critical need for psychologically safe spaces. In response, CTNWP launched Connecticut’s first clinician-led statewide nurse wellness survey (“60 Days. 600 Voices.”), engaging 438 nurses.
Preliminary findings informed the implementation of WenWell™ Support Circles, structured, facilitator-led interventions designed to improve well-being, connection, and resilience. These were piloted with undergraduate nursing students, and experienced nurses.
CTNWP is expanding into academic settings, including graduate nursing workshops at the University of Connecticut (with continuing education credits) and undergraduate engagement at Southern Connecticut State University.
All initiatives utilize the WenWell™ Wellness Index to measure outcomes, consistent with evidence supporting measurement-driven workforce improvement strategies (Shanafelt et al., 2017).
The Connecticut Nurse Wellness Project (CTNWP) is a scalable, nurse-led workforce infrastructure initiative powered by the WenWell™ Framework, which centers on Capacity, Safety, and Connection as essential conditions for workforce sustainability. This approach aligns with evidence emphasizing that workforce well-being must be addressed at the system level, not solely through individual strategies (U.S. Surgeon General, 2022).
The initiative is grounded in three pillars: (1) Listening through psychologically safe engagement, (2) Building cross-sector partnerships, and (3) Collecting and translating data into action.
This work began with the State of Nurse Wellness Roundtable, where nurses identified a critical need for psychologically safe spaces. In response, CTNWP launched Connecticut’s first clinician-led statewide nurse wellness survey (“60 Days. 600 Voices.”), engaging 438 nurses.
Preliminary findings informed the implementation of WenWell™ Support Circles, structured, facilitator-led interventions designed to improve well-being, connection, and resilience. These were piloted with undergraduate nursing students, and experienced nurses.
CTNWP is expanding into academic settings, including graduate nursing workshops at the University of Connecticut (with continuing education credits) and undergraduate engagement at Southern Connecticut State University.
All initiatives utilize the WenWell™ Wellness Index to measure outcomes, consistent with evidence supporting measurement-driven workforce improvement strategies (Shanafelt et al., 2017).
Thank you for your exceptional compassion, advocacy, and dedication to your patients. You truly make a difference.
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