Abstract
The rigors of graduate nursing education create significant stress for nurse anesthesia students. The taxing background of an intensive care nurse, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, compounds the inherent pressures of doctoral study. Students often experience symptoms of burnout, complicating their ability to learn and retain critical information. We created the Thrive initiative to encourage the development of emotional wellness. Thrive’s success is attributed to the blend of relevant information including emotional intelligence skills and racial sensitivity support, engaged student participation, and the desire to help the next generation of graduate nurses develop sustainable emotional health.