This article provided by Fastaff.
As a nurse, you are one of the country’s most important resources right now. There’s still a lot we don’t know about the coronavirus. It’s very likely that protocols will change, supplies will dwindle, and your service will be more in demand than ever. But that’s pretty much par for the course for nurses anyway, right? Regardless, staying healthy mentally and physically is more important than ever.
Read our 8 tips for nurses treating patients with COVID-19.
1. Keep your immune system up.
This is a no-brainer, but an important one. Take your multivitamins, eat balanced meals, and avoid sugar when you can. Taking every precaution to avoid coronavirus is important —but being sidelined by the common cold you won’t help either.
2. Don’t mentally isolate. Find support in your fellow nurses and coworkers.
Whether you are a travel nurse or full-time employee, create a buddy system with your team. Monitor stress in your fellow nurses, and create a safe space to speak up if you need it.
3. Know the signs of burnout.
Recognizing irritability, frustration, and exhaustion as burnout in yourself or other nurses can help catch mistakes. Monitor each other’s workload and recognize opportunities to help each other out. Most importantly, it’s not selfish to take breaks and oftentimes necessary.
4. Acknowledge tough moments, but also wins.
Support each other and your achievements, no matter how small.
5. Take breaks from media coverage of coronavirus and social media.
Right now it feels like COVID-19 news changes by the second. Because it kind of does! For your own wellbeing and sanity, step back from social media, or put time limits on when you go on or for how long. Leave FOMO at the door for a while. Chances are there will be completely new information by the time you log back on later anyway.
6. Establish healthy stress relievers.
Another no brainer, but one of the most important right now. Meditate, practice yoga, learn the ukulele, whatever it is that you love to do and provides a sense of calm.
7. Stay confident in your experience and have perspective.
You’ve likely seen much worse than a respiratory disease like COVID-19. And you’ve likely been exposed to contagions much worse than it too. This is the job you know how to do. Remember to stick to your experience and know-how. You got this, and the world is behind you.
8. Work with a reliable nurse staffing company or a hospital you trust.
There are a lot of things up in the air right now. Your safety, security, and wellbeing if you contract COVID-19 should not be one of them. For example, Fastaff Travel Nursing provides housing stipends and quarantine pay, should their nurses need it. Working with a company that has your best interest in mind will help you focus on the task at hand – saving lives.
We hope you found these tips helpful for staying sane and healthy while treating COVID-19. Do you have any tips for fellow travel nurses on staying sane while treating COVID-19? Comment them below.
Looking for a COVID-19 Job? Try our COVID-19 Jobs Page
If you are a new travel nurse or looking into becoming a travel nurse:
Travel Nurse Guide: Step-by-Step (now offered in a PDF Downloadable version!)
Sources:
Nurse.org – Article – I’m a nurse and these are 5 reasons I’m not panicking about COVID-19 https://nurse.org/articles/as-a-nurse-not-panicking-over-covid19/
CDC – Managing Stress and Anxiety https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus
