I enjoyed the portion of the conversation that surrounded nurses engaging in self care
during COVID-19 and ensuring they are taking care of themselves and each other, which in turn
helps create better care for those they serve. I agree that it is incredibly difficult to care for
others if you don’t care for yourself first, and those who suffer from mental health or physical
health challenges can attest to that struggle. We all want to take care of our patients, families,
and friends, but we are missing a crucial piece of the puzzle if we don’t start within ourselves. It
can create burnout, exhaustion, and exacerbate so many health issues if you let your own
health go for too long. Recently, a systematic review of nursing students from several countries
reported “low levels of psychological well-being, indicated by high levels of stress and incidence
of negative psychological health” (Li and Hasson, 2020). I think all of us can report the same - I
know I certainly can. In a similar study, it notes that “an important factor for mental well-being
and a mitigator of psychological distress is the adoption of health self-care practices” (Brouwer,
et al., 2021).
It has been shown that incorporating mental, physical, social and spiritual care geared
towards improving overall well-being and engaging in deliberate self-care practices are helpful
in reducing stress among nursing students (Matarese, et al., 2018). One of the things that
concerned me about the video was the lack of concrete plans for these types of activities allowing the time - during a shift even - to practice mindfulness or engage even in a short 5-to10-minute stress relieving activity. I would have liked to see more than just a vague or broad
overview of their “plans” to help with “self-care” and see more of a well thought out program
that was evidence-based, as I have found many articles regarding these practices that pre-date
the pandemic and certainly have results that speak for themselves.
If I were in charge of a nursing workforce or nursing school, I would do exactly what I
mentioned above. Not only care for the academic and performance based side of staff or
students, but create and invest in a self-care model that cares for the individual as a unique
person who needs to explore what works for them. To address the full well-being of each nurse
or nursing student and invest the time in helping them reach their self-care goals by providing
not only the resources, but also the TIME. One of the things I held on to most from my time
working in non-profits was that we all have the “Three T’s” to give: Time, Talent, and Treasure.
If the people at the top of an organization are not willing to invest all three into their staff, they
are missing out on an opportunity to create an environment that fosters healthier and more
mindful staff, better patient outcomes, and better retention. If it were me, I would start with
the Three T’s and engage and collaborate with other organizational leaders to begin with
evidence-based practices that are widely available on techniques and resources to provide staff
with. For instance - all those closed floors or unused spaces in a hospital? Turn those into nurse
wellness centers. Allow for floating staff positions that can “relieve” a nurse who is feeling
overwhelmed or needs self-care in a time of crisis. Create a better plan around allowing for
breaks - even if they are short - to address critical needs. All of these would help both staff and
patients - and I believe would be worth the investment.
References
Brouwer, K. R., Walmsley, L. A., Parrish, E. M., McCubbin, A. K., Welsh, J. D., Braido, C., & Okoli,
C. (2021). Examining the associations between self-care practices and psychological distress
among nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nurse education today, 100, 104864.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2021.104864
Li Z.S., Hasson F. Resilience, stress, and psychological well-being in nursing students: a
systematic review. Nurse Educ. Today. 2020;90:104440. doi: 10.1016/j.nedt.2020.104440.
Matarese M., Lommi M., De Marinis M.G., Riegel B. A systematic review and integration of
concept analyses of self-care and related concepts. J. Nurs. Scholarsh. 2018;50(3):296–305.
doi: 10.1111/jnu.12385.