Fastaff provided this article.
The need for nurses is at an all-time high. During the past few years, nurses have faced extreme challenges, from the pandemic to working long hours and even experiencing violence in the workplace. The impact of those occurrences has been detrimental to the mental health of healthcare workers everywhere. Nurses are the ones who have the most direct involvement with critically ill patients and can be affected the most. Caring for patients day in and day out can be mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausting.
Furthermore, the widespread nursing shortages have exacerbated the stress that many nurses already felt. Often, nurses begin to neglect their own mental health in an effort to save others. Although it is of extreme importance for nurses to practice self-care, nurse well-being cannot be solely the responsibility of the individual nurse. Healthcare organizations must engage in systemic support for nurses. Fortunately, the Ingenovis Health ACT program (Advocacy, Career, Tools) was created as a commitment to improving the well-being and career advancement of clinicians across the Ingenovis Health family of brands, which includes Fastaff Travel Nursing. The ACT program is a unique initiative available to Fastaff travel nurses that provides the necessary tools and resources to grow, flourish, and advance nurses’ careers.
Prioritizing Mental Health – Wellness Resources for Travel Nurses
Here are several resources you can take advantage of as a travel nurse to support your mental health:
Resilience Training
Healthcare professionals often endure physical and emotional strain. For nurses to adapt to stressors more effectively, it is a must to have some sort of resilience training. Programs that incorporate psychological resilience techniques provide nurses with coping tactics that prevent stress, anxiety, and depression. The ACT webinar series is a part of the Ingenovis Health ACT program, offering free monthly educational and inspirational resources to support our healthcare professionals’ personal growth and career development. Healthcare professionals can access the webinar playlist at any time. It can be simply used as a guide to help improve nurses’ overall well-being.
Mindfulness
It is of extreme importance to practice mindfulness in high-stress professions such as nursing. According to Mayo Clinic, incorporating meditation into your lifestyle can give you a sense of calm, peace, and balance that can benefit both your emotional well-being and your overall health.
Some emotional and physical benefits of meditation include:
- Gaining a new perspective on stressful situations
- Building skills to manage your stress
- Increasing self-awareness
- Focusing on the present
- Reducing negative emotions
- Increasing imagination and creativity
- Increasing patience and tolerance
- Lowering resting heart rate
- Lowering resting blood pressure
- Improving sleep quality
There are several ways to meditate, including yoga, mindful meditation, transcendental meditation, and Tai Chi. Fastaff offers Yoga sessions to its travel nurses with a certified instructor through YogaFit. Taking advantage of yoga sessions can help nurses reinvigorate the mind, body, and soul.
Taking advantage of available resources
Working for an employer that appreciates you can improve mental health and job satisfaction. One of the ways Fastaff shows appreciation is through its discount and rewards program, which offers an extensive list of discounts on brands in different categories. Other resource programs offer free telehealth therapy sessions and in-person access to behavioral health professionals and substance abuse counselors. Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) offer professional assistance with personal, family, financial, and work struggles, often at no cost to the employee. The Fastaff Employee Assistance Program offers confidential telephone consultations and counseling sessions for issues including stress, depression, and family and relationship concerns.
Additional Fastaff EAP resources include:
- Information and referrals on family matters, such as child and elder care, pet care, vacation planning, moving, car buying, college planning, and more
- Legal information and referrals for family law, estate planning, and consumer and civil law
- Financial guidance on household budgeting and short- and long-term planning
Prioritizing mental health should always be top of mind. We hope you found these resources for prioritizing mental health to be beneficial. If there are any, we missed comment below.
Our job board is a great place to search for your next travel nurse assignment. If housing is an issue, we have you covered with our housing page. You can search for what you are looking for.
