Making ICUs more resilient to improve care for adults with acute respiratory failure

Organizational resilience: A novel strategy for improving ICU outcomes

NIH-funded research Yale University · NIH-11321158

This project looks at whether helping ICU teams cope with workplace stress can lower staff burnout and improve care for adults with acute respiratory failure.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionYale University NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (New Haven, United States)
Project IDNIH-11321158 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

Researchers will work with ICU teams (nurses, physicians, and respiratory therapists) to measure how well units anticipate, perform under, and adapt to stressful conditions using new organizational-resilience tools. They will collect staff surveys, interviews, and burnout measures alongside patient data such as outcomes for adults with acute respiratory failure. The team will compare more and less resilient ICUs to understand how organizational factors relate to clinician well‑being and patient safety. Results will guide practical strategies hospitals can use to support staff and reduce harm to patients.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Adults (age 21+) with acute respiratory failure who receive care in participating ICUs would be the most directly involved or affected by this work.

Not a fit: People not treated in participating adult ICUs (for example children, outpatients, or patients at nonparticipating hospitals) are unlikely to directly benefit from this specific project.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this could reduce clinician burnout and improve safety and recovery for adults with acute respiratory failure.

How similar studies have performed: Past efforts targeting individual clinicians have had limited impact, and applying organizational-resilience approaches to ICUs is promising but relatively new.

Where this research is happening

New Haven, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-10 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.