At Lark Medical Staffing, we understand that healthcare professionals, particularly travel nurses, are at the forefront of care, dedicating themselves to the well-being of others. However, the demands of the job can take a toll on mental health. This Mental Health Awareness Week, we want to emphasize that self-care is not a luxury but a necessity, especially for those in such a high-pressure environment. Here’s what we can all do to support mental health in healthcare and beyond.
1. **Acknowledge the Signs**
Mental health struggles often go unnoticed. As healthcare workers, it’s essential to stay aware of common signs of burnout, depression, and anxiety, both in yourself and others. Pay attention to changes in behavior, mood, and work performance. Early intervention can make a huge difference.
2. **Create a Supportive Work Environment**
Whether you’re a nurse, recruiter, or manager, fostering an environment of openness and support is key. Encourage regular check-ins, not just about work but about mental well-being. Let your team know it’s okay to ask for help when needed and that their mental health matters.
3. **Practice Mindfulness and Self-Care**
Take moments throughout your day to pause and practice mindfulness. Simple breathing exercises, short walks, or moments of reflection can greatly reduce stress. Prioritizing rest, nutrition, and work-life balance is essential. Remember, self-care isn’t selfish—it’s survival.
4. **Join the Conversation**
Talking about mental health helps reduce stigma. This Mental Health Awareness Week, let’s start conversations, share stories, and support one another in creating a culture where mental health is prioritized. Whether it’s through social media or during casual conversations with coworkers, your voice can make a difference.
5. **Lean on Your Staffing Agency**
At Lark Medical Staffing, we go beyond job placements. We believe in fostering a holistic approach to healthcare by supporting our nurses’ mental health and well-being. If you’re ever feeling overwhelmed or need guidance, we’re here to help. We understand the unique challenges travel healthcare professionals face, and we’re committed to being your partner, not just in your career but in your journey toward wellness.
Final Thoughts
Mental Health Awareness Week is a reminder that caring for ourselves and each other is a continuous practice. In the demanding world of healthcare, it’s easy to forget about our mental health. This week, let’s change that. At Lark Medical Staffing, we’re dedicated to supporting our nurses both professionally and personally. Together, we can build a healthier, more compassionate future for healthcare workers everywhere.
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May is Mental Health Awareness Month and May 6 also just happens to be the start of Nurses Week. In honor of both, we’re putting together some tips to help maintain your mental health while on assignment. Taking care of yourself helps you avoid burnout, which is something everyone can use.
Travel Nurse Mental Health Tips:
Travel Nurse Mental Health Tip #1: Take Time for Yourself
You can’t take care of others if you aren’t taking care of yourself. And that means taking time to refresh and rejuvenate. But there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to self-care. For you, self-care might mean spending a night every week doing a face mask and pedicure, but for others, it could be visiting some of your temp location’s best restaurants. No matter what self-care means to you, make it a point to take some time for yourself.
Travel Nurse Mental Health Tip #2: Stay Connected with Family and Friends
When you’re far from home, you need to take extra steps to stay connected with your friends and family. Luckily, it’s easier than ever to keep in touch with folks back home with instant texting, video calls, and social media. If you’re able to, consider having a friend come visit for a couple of days so you can explore your temporary home with a buddy.
Travel Nurse Mental Health Tip #3: Stay Active
Mental and physical health are so closely related. As Elle Woods says, “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy.” Whether you work out at the gym or stay active through hiking, staying active will elevate your mood and your mental health.
Travel Nurse Mental Health Tip #4: Take Advantage of Your Agency’s EAP
Most people don’t realize that their agency might offer an Employee Assistance Program. These programs offer free services for employees and dependents, without charge. You can use the EAP to help get you through a rough patch, and most EAPs will provide you with a handful of free counseling sessions with a local, licensed mental health professional. In many cases, the EAP is available through your agency, even if you don’t take advantage of health insurance or other benefits. And best of all, it’s all free and confidential.
Travel Nurse Mental Health Tip #5: Focus on a Healthy Diet
There’s no magic food that will improve your mood, but there are a few things that have been suggested to help. Fish like salmon or trout are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which are known to improve brain health. Leafy greens like spinach and kale are rich in folate, which can help regulate moods. Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and dark chocolate all contain antioxidants and can boost endorphins, which we know from Elle make you happy. Chocolate-covered blueberries, anyone? Lastly, make sure you stay hydrated. Hydration is key for cognitive function and can help decrease mood swings.
Avoiding burnout is key for all nurses, but especially for travel nurses who are living far from home. Use these tips to help keep yourself mentally healthy during Mental Health Awareness Month and every day of the year.
No matter what your specialty, Triage has travel nurse jobs in locations throughout the country. Visit the Triage website to find out more.
Find Your Next Travel Nurse Assignment with Our Job Board!
Are you on the hunt for your next travel nurse gig? Look no further than our job board! Click here to explore all our current opportunities.
Discover the Perfect Housing for Your Next Assignment
Need somewhere to stay on your next travel nurse assignment? We’ve got you covered. Check out our housing page to find your ideal home away from home. Click here to start your search.
The late January blues are a familiar challenge for many, and this period can be especially demanding for travel nurses. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), prevalent in these shorter, darker days of winter, poses unique challenges to those constantly on the move in their nursing careers. While the condition can be daunting, there are effective strategies and support systems that can help mitigate its impact.
Understanding Seasonal Depression in Travel Nursing
Travel nurses face distinct challenges during the winter months. Frequent relocations and adapting to new work environments can intensify feelings of isolation and stress, common triggers for seasonal depression. Recognizing and addressing these symptoms is crucial in maintaining personal well-being and professional effectiveness.
Strategies for Managing Seasonal Depression
Strategic Assignment Selection: Picking locations with milder winters or more daylight can significantly influence mood and overall mental health. Travel nurses can choose assignments that align better with their health needs, especially during the colder months.
Building a Supportive Community: The transient nature of travel nursing can lead to feelings of isolation. Building a network of peers, staying connected with family and friends, and engaging in local communities can provide crucial emotional support.
Focusing on Wellness: Access to wellness resources, including mental health services and lifestyle tips, can be critical in managing seasonal depression. Maintaining physical health through regular exercise and a balanced diet is also vital.
Work-Life Balance: Managing workloads to ensure adequate rest and time for relaxation and hobbies is important. A balanced routine helps in maintaining energy levels and a positive mood.
Practical Tips for Coping with Seasonal Depression
Travel nurses can adopt several useful strategies to cope with the challenges of seasonal depression:
Maximize Exposure to Natural Light: Take advantage of daylight by spending time outdoors or positioning workspaces near windows.
Create a Cheerful Living Space: Use light therapy lamps and bright decor to combat the gloom of shorter days.
Regular Sleep Patterns: A consistent sleep routine can improve mood and energy.
Nutritional Balance: Focus on a diet rich in mood-boosting nutrients.
Social Connections: Regular contact with loved ones and peers can provide emotional support and a sense of belonging.
Ingenovis Health’s ACT Program
While individual strategies are vital in managing seasonal depression, additional support is often beneficial. Ingenovis Health’s ACT program, provided by Trustaff, offers resources and support tailored to the unique needs of travel nurses. This program provides flexible assignment choices, a supportive community, access to health and wellness resources, and guidance on maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Ingenovis Health’s ACT program recognizes the challenges faced by travel nurses and aims to provide the tools and support necessary to navigate seasonal depression effectively.
As travel nurses continue to navigate the challenges of seasonal depression, it’s important to remember that support is available, and proactive strategies can make a significant difference. With the right approach and resources, managing seasonal depression is not only possible but can also lead to a more fulfilling and successful travel nursing experience.
We hope you found this article on navigating seasonal depression helpful. Have you found ways to navigate seasonal depression as a travel healthcare professional? Comment them below.
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As a nurse, you feel it in your mind, body, and soul — and you see it in your colleagues’ weary eyes. Between an ever-growing nurse staffing shortage, an increased need for patient care, and a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, nurse burnout is at an all-time high, and nurse mental health is suffering.
“I’ve been a nurse since 2014, and I love people, but I could not find my niche in nursing,” Alyssa Gainer, RN, said. “I switched jobs every one to two years, and after COVID started, I was ready for a new profession.”
Gainer, a Medical Solutions traveler, could’ve packed it in then, leaving an already struggling healthcare industry with one less nurse during a pandemic. But traveling gave her a path to keep going in nursing.
“I had friends that were traveling, and I love to travel, so I thought, ‘Let’s do it!’” Gainer said. “My husband and pets travel with me, and it has been such a blessing to go to hospitals that sincerely appreciate you being there.”
While she’s enjoying the journey — 7,000 miles so far, filled with “breathtaking views” — it’s also helped improve her mental health and recenter her focus on patient care.
“Travel nursing changed my outlook on being a nurse,” Gainer said. “I feel like I’m actually making a difference, and I’m no longer burnt out! I get to take breaks in between assignments, and I cannot express the joy of being a traveler.”
Luckily for Gainer, becoming a travel nurse gave her a new career outlook, and she addressed her own mental health while she continued to care for her patients. Unfortunately, Gainer isn’t alone; many nurses face burnout and mental health concerns.
Are the Nurses Alright?
Nurses tend to be strong, stoic in many situations, and so used to caring for others that they sometimes forget to care for themselves. While many Americans suffer from mental health issues, nurses have faced heavy personal and professional mental health burdens during the continuing nursing shortage, increased need for patient care, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
In February 2023, Medical Solutions conducted a survey on mental health benefits — answered by 260 Medical Solutions travelers. The survey revealed a lot about nurse mental health and how travel nursing can improve it! We started by asking people to rate their overall mental health, and 55% said it was “good” or “excellent,” 28% “neutral,” 15% “somewhat poor,” and 2% “poor.”
In a series of questions, 56% of clinician respondents affirmed they have difficulty sleeping, 56% often worry about things that are out of their control, and 35% are often fatigued to the point that it impacts their ability to function. Another 16% reported they have difficulty seeing the positive in things.
But it’s not all bad news! We were happy to see 65% of respondents say their mental health was better since becoming a travel nurse than it was when they were on permanent staff. They said they felt the following aspects of travel nursing help improve their mental health: 90% said less involvement in workplace politics, 83% said the flexibility to choose jobs/locations, 71% said better work/life balance and change in environments, 32% attributed the improvement to better support as a travel nurse, and 11% said agency-provided mental health support.
In the same Medical Solutions survey, 61% of travelers responded that becoming a travel nurse actually improved their willingness to continue working as a nurse! This is very significant because it shows that travel nursing is actually keeping nurses working in the healthcare industry — which has great benefits for nurses, patient care, and facilities during the ongoing nurse shortage.
As many nurses know, taking care of your mental health is also important to your physical health. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), people with depression have a 40% higher risk of developing cardiovascular and metabolic diseases than the general population, and those with serious mental illness are nearly twice as likely to develop these conditions. Data from NAMI also shows mental health issues can lead to substance abuse and an increased risk for unemployment.
Mental Health Care Solutions
The Medical Solutions team works really hard to put our travel clinicians first and consider them as whole people — body, mind, and spirit. While we know your recruiter is incredible — a rock, a sounding board, and an overall accomplice in the great world of travel nursing — sometimes you have a concern you need to discuss with an objective person. For those times, we offer an amazing Employee Assistance Program (EAP), free to all our current travelers. It provides access to various mental health resources and tools, including 24/7 virtual and in-person counseling sessions with licensed providers (up to five free sessions per issue per calendar year!), crisis lines, on-demand videos, webinars, forums, advocacy contacts, and other similarly helpful resources. Your EAP also extends to your immediate family members and can offer help with relationship and parenting issues, depression, anxiety, stress management, substance abuse, grief, work conflicts, child and eldercare concerns, financial issues, and more.
Code Lavender is also a great program for clinicians and staff facing a serious, in-hospital trauma. A Code Lavender team usually includes hospital chaplains, social workers, holistic certified nurses, trained volunteers, and others who quickly deploy (ideally within 30 minutes) to support a member of the facility’s team with a variety of helpful interventions meant to stabilize them mentally and emotionally.
Another Nurse Helped by Travel
Jennifer Randolph is a Medical Solutions ER RN who’s been in nursing for nearly 20 years.
“I’ve held many titles and roles, but my most proud is being an emergency room travel nurse,” Randolph said.
When the healthcare world changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and nurses faced an unprecedented level of mental and emotional strain, she decided to jump out of her comfort zone and try travel nursing.
“Travel nursing has come with an enormous amount of personal and professional growth,” Randolph said. “I’ve met so many amazing people along the way, and it’s renewed my spirit and desire to be the best nurse I can possibly be.”
Take that nurse burnout! Randolph said the best part for her is she knows this is only the beginning of her career renaissance — a journey that so far proved inspiring and reignited her passion for nursing.
“I never thought that at this point in my career, I’d be traveling the United States and enjoying life so much,” Randolph said. “I’ve found a company that supports its nurses and a recruiter who truly has my best interest at heart… it’s brought new life and opportunities to this grateful nurse — and definitely proven it’s never too late to try something new.”
“Travel nursing has been the opportunity of a lifetime for this Midwestern girl,” she said. “I’ve not only flown high in a hot air balloon in Scottsdale, then conquered Thumb Butte Mountain, but I’ve also gone off-road in a Jeep, taking in all the beauty of the Red Rocks in Sedona, and I’ve toured Jerome, Cottonwood, and Clarksdale where we took a passenger train ride in Verde Valley Canyon. There have been so many sunrises and sunsets that I would’ve never had the opportunity to see otherwise.”
“God opened a new path for me, and I am grateful for Medical Solutions for making the journey very fun,” she said. “We’ve traveled over 7,000 miles since starting and have seen the most breathtaking views. If you’re considering traveling, I say do it! It truly has changed my life.”
Written by: Christine Purviance, BSN, RN, Director of Clinical Services at Medical Edge Recruitment
It has been just over three years since the first case of COVID-19 landed in the United States. Hospital admissions and total cases are trending down, and our lives seem to have returned to normal. Those who were unaffected have their sense of normalcy back—schools are open, mandates are lifted, and travel is unrestricted. A few more seasons and the pandemic will become another chapter in our history books that we will tell our grandchildren about, for most.
Public Perception
Nursing – a job once derived from compassion, caring, and respect quickly turned into a political narrative with false accusations of deceit at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. With so many false truths and accusations across social media, and the world, nurses took the brunt of the emotional attacks. We were accused of killing the same patients that we were so desperately trying to save. We would have given anything to show the public the reality of the crisis we were facing. Some of us were called liars when we tried to tell our loved ones that COVID was real and that we were witnessing death daily. “You signed up for this” were the words spoken to us as COVID penetrated hospitals while we begged for more PPE.
Our Reality
While most of the world dismissed that COVID existed, we were zipping up body bags like it was trending. We felt uncertainty and fear—we feared infecting our children, husbands, sisters, brothers, and parents, and uncertainty if we would get infected ourselves. We learned quickly that death was impending when patients made it to the ICU. Ventilated, sedated, paralyzed, prone. Each patient started to look the same. For what felt like an eternity, we cared for the same patients for weeks and sometimes months as they slowly died alone.
I remember it like it was yesterday; after having three days off, I came back to find that the unit I worked on had lost three-quarters of our critically ill COVID patients. They had all been on our unit for over a month. We had been doing everything we could for them while they fought for their lives, hooked up to endless monitors and life-saving equipment. For weeks, a dozen medications seeped into their veins–pumping their hearts just enough to sustain life, receiving high doses of sedation, continuous pain medications for comfort, and drug-induced paralysis in hopes they could oxygenate better. Nothing helped. It was at that moment when I saw how many patients we had lost despite our best efforts that I realized the devastation COVID-19 would have on so many lives and that we would never be the same.
Our backs had always hurt, but now our souls and hearts hurt, too. With the need for nurses increasing dramatically, hospitals scurried to find anyone who could work. We were overworked and undervalued; many of us felt like we were just another warm body to our employers. A pizza party does not fix the trauma someone experiences when they see hundreds of lives die in their care. Where was the support from our employers during such a traumatic time? Why did so many nurses lose their benefits and PTO? The lack of support we experienced is just scratching the surface of the real impact the pandemic had on nursing. While many of us had turned to travel nursing to earn a fair and decent wage, thousands of us have left patient care for good because we have finally realized our worth. It’s time we share our truth and gives others the real nursing perspective during COVID.
Perspectives from former COVID ICU Nurses
Amanda, RN
“I would not have become a nurse if I knew a global pandemic was in the future,” Amanda, an ER and ICU nurse, says. Amanda has been a nurse for four years and enjoyed her work pre-pandemic. Amanda describes her mental health as good before COVID. She was hardly anxious and really enjoyed being a nurse. Fast forward, Amanda describes how she had to start taking antidepressants during the pandemic, is a very anxious person now, and turned to alcohol a lot during the pandemic. “It was so surreal. It almost felt like we were soldiers going to war to fight this unknown and dangerous virus. I saw so much death and suffering; it was exhausting, overwhelming, and traumatic.” She says that one of the hardest things for her and her colleagues was the skepticism that non-healthcare workers had regarding COVID. “It felt like a slap in the face. We were stacking bodies on top of each other, holding our patients’ hands as they died alone.” Amanda left the bedside three months ago and says it was the best decision she ever made.
Lisa, RN
Lisa, a former ICU local travel ICU nurse, exclusively took care of critically ill COVID patients during the pandemic. “It was surreal, heartbreaking, and one of the most difficult times of my life,” she describes. She isolated herself from her mom, husband, and friends as she “witnessed death several times per day, nearly every day.” Lisa sought help during the pandemic for nightmares and intrusive thoughts from a therapist who provided coping mechanisms like self-regulation techniques, journaling, meditation, and self-compassion. Lisa says, “my mental health is definitely not what it was pre-pandemic, but I am much better now, maybe even stronger.” Lisa encourages others to not wait to seek help. She suggests finding a therapist, a self-help book, or a resource that works for you. “When your mental health improves, a cloud is lifted…healing begins from within through the practice of self-compassion.” Lisa left the bedside in February of 2021 to pursue higher education.
S.M., RN
S.M., an ICU, OR, and PACU nurse, describes working as a nurse during the pandemic as “crazy!” S.W. had been a nurse for 12 years when the pandemic started. When asked about how she felt about her employer, she states she feels like politics got in the way of patient care. She describes her mental health as good prior to the pandemic, but now she feels that she has more depressive days. After working through the pandemic, S.W. has not considered leaving the bedside and still loves what she does.
Resources and Help
The data and evidence on how COVID impacted the nursing profession, and mental health is limited, likely due to the recency of the pandemic. However, according to arecent survey [AS1] of critical care nursing burnout and mental health during the pandemic, 44% of critical care nurses experienced moderate-to-severe depression and anxiety, and 47% were at risk for having post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Of the nurses surveyed, 84% experienced moderate levels of burnout and moral distress. COVID-19 has impacted every nurse across the globe in one way or another.
Many of us are doing well, but some of us are still struggling. If you, or anyone you know, needs mental health support, it is never too late to ask for help. Mental health therapy has never been more accessible and can be done from the comfort of your own home through virtual appointments. Below is a list of mental health services available for anyone:
Employee Assistance Program (EAP): These programs often offer a set number of complimentary counseling or mental health services. Check with your health insurance to see if your benefits include an EAP.
Moving Forward
The realization of our value after the pandemic has shifted nurses’ attitudes across the nation. From travel nursing for adequate pay to remote nursing jobs with less liability, thousands of nurses have left their role, left nursing altogether, or pursued higher education. The future of nursing is uncertain, given the evolving impact of the pandemic, but we hope that sharing our reality and experiences can open the minds of those who weren’t in our shoes. The need for nurses is great, but the need to support and retain our existing nurses is greater.
References
Guttormson JL, Calkins K, McAndrew N, Fitzgerald J, Losurdo H, Loonsfoot D. Critical Care Nurse Burnout, Moral Distress, and Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A United States Survey. Heart Lung. 2022 Sep-Oct;55:127-133. doi: 10.1016/j.hrtlng.2022.04.015. Epub 2022 Apr 29. PMID: 35561589; PMCID: PMC9050623.
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
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:
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.
With so much on the shoulders of nurses and frontline healthcare professionals in recent years, you and your nursing staff need a firm foundation of strength and support to perform best. Nursing staff shortages, as well as the added stress, have highlighted the importance of continuing to invest in the well-being of nursing personnel.
Given the demanding nature of your job as a nurse, you should always make sure to help yourself, and other staff members stay in the best shape possible. So, if you’re searching for ways to celebrate each other and boost worker morale, here are five practical methods to prolong this acknowledgment and appreciation every hour of your shift.
Celebrate Each Other’ Achievements
In a medical environment among nurses, every small achievement is a big victory worthy of celebrating. When nurses celebrate the achievements of one another at work, they motivate themselves to help patients more, they feel appreciated, and most importantly, they will constantly be reminded that they’re doing a great job in helping society.
Celebrating is more fun when it involves healthy and yummy snacks. All kinds of nuts, protein bars, raisins, fruit, and vegetables, as well as soda, smoothies, or tea, make a great party menu when celebrating each other’s achievements. However, when throwing those little get-togethers, everyone wants to fully enjoy the party without worrying about other things. Therefore, using plastic dinnerware sets will save you from cleaning afterward and allow you to enjoy the moment.
Nurses recognize the critical role that mental health may play in patient healing and rehabilitation, but it’s easy for them to disregard it in their own lives. So, make sure to encourage and remind other members of your team that their mental health is important and should be taken seriously. Since the nursing profession is made up of strong individuals who are committed to caring for others, their own self-care and nurturing become even more crucial.
Therefore, from attending specially designed yoga sessions for nurses to fitness incentives and continuous mental health awareness programs to meditation applications, it’s critical to demonstrate how much you appreciate yourself and each other, both mentally and physically. At the end of the day, the healthy nursing staff will be able to perform at their highest ability and improve patient care.
Recognize Individual and Group Accomplishments
One of the most effective ways to ensure that good work continues in the future is to consistently celebrate nursing achievements. This recognition can take many forms, including a simple and heartfelt “thank you” from leadership at the end of a shift or from other members of the staff.
Or a bulletin board highlighting employee training and education achievements, or institution email notifications that outline and celebrate nursing staff’s hard work and commitment. It’s a little investment in effort, but continuously taking the time to genuinely express gratitude and highlight successes, big or small, can help keep morale high by cultivating an appreciation culture.
Create an Employee-Nominated Rewards Program
One of the best methods to encourage engagement and improve your nursing staff is to create reward systems in which they directly participate. Create a system in which you, as nurses, are encouraged to nominate your coworkers for their hard work, fast thinking, positive attitude, or creative methods.
These types of acknowledgment foster trust and support among nurses while also providing supervisors with the insight they may not have had the opportunity to witness personally. Rewards can vary from an employee of the week or monthly highlights, gift cards, lunches, and other awards that can be selected by the nursing staff.
With personalized, unique gifts for nurses and your healthcare co-workers, you can put your team’s values front and center. You might use a popular slogan or a value that you live by as your organization’s logo to show appreciation to one another and boost morale.
The best presents for healthcare workers are frequently both practical and meaningful. Coffee mugs, socks, or tumblers are excellent gifts because they can be used frequently and remind healthcare workers that they are respected and appreciated during their lengthy and challenging shifts. These little reminders throughout the day will help nurses stay motivated, resulting in better patient care.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, nurses face a lot of stress, both physically and emotionally, and it might feel like the negative surpasses the positive at times, but it is in their hands to turn that around. The entire nursing staff always gives their best effort, and it is critical for nurses to support one another and stay motivated in order to improve overall patient care!
The value of a traveling nurse in today’s world is nothing less than a big diamond ring or a heavy gold bar. What nurses deal with out on the road, away from family, and in unknown, stressful situations is extremely challenging. Nurses are needed and what they do is oftentimes life-changing. So how do they stay healthy? If you are a traveling nurse, here are some ways to develop mental toughness so you can keep making a difference in the lives of your patients.
Make a Commitment
Sometimes the hardest part of doing a job is choosing to do it. Once you have decided to go on the road, commit to giving it all of your energy while you are out there. Programs that can help you maintain focus, like the 75 hard program, supply the encouragement, information, and support to succeed in a mentally challenging situation. You can draw strength from the mental fortitude that commitment brings by using the reasons you committed as motivation to stay true to your path. It may be useful to write down the reasons on a piece of paper to keep in your car or on a small chalkboard you post in your rental space. Whenever you feel your resolve weakening, use this list as a reminder of what you need to stay strong for.
Stock Up
It is easy to crack under pressure when you don’t have what you need to get the job done right, so make sure you are stocked up on whatever supplies you can bring into your job. You are often limited on what you can carry with you, but be as prepared as the situation allows to give you confidence and peace of mind.
Take Care of the Basics
It is difficult to take great care of others when your basic needs are not being met, so make sure you get sufficient sleep, eat a healthy diet, and exercise every day. Doing this will build and maintain mental toughness, so you can help those who need you. It takes a lot of self-discipline to do these things but sleeping enough will keep you energized, eating well will give your body the nutrients it needs to stay healthy, and exercise keeps you strong and flexible to prevent injury.
Build a Support Network
One of the most important things you can do for yourself to develop mental toughness is to build a strong support network of people you trust and respect who care about you. These people will be a source of comfort when you are mourning the death of a patient or will lift you up after dealing with an ethical dilemma. Family, friends, and colleagues are also important to stay in touch with and nurture meaningful relationships with so you do not feel isolated on the road or lose connections with the important people in your life due to distance.
Keep a Journal
When you are in a situation that you cannot talk about, writing it down in a journal can be a great solution for maintaining mental health. Being on the road can introduce you to things you are not familiar with and therefore not prepared for, so being able to write about it can help you sort through your feelings and express your thoughts in a safe environment.
The demands on traveling nurses today are extreme because of the pandemic and shortages of nurses all over the country. These demands make it important to develop mental toughness for your health and your career. These techniques will help you succeed so you can continue to help your family, your patients, and yourself.
October 10th is World Mental Health Day, which highlights mental health education, awareness, and advocacy. The mental health of healthcare workers is of the utmost importance. As a result of the heightened stress healthcare professionals have endured in the last few years, there’s an increased risk for mental health issues like anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress. While traveling as a healthcare professional may feel isolating and lonely at times, it’s important to understand that you are not alone and help is available and accessible through multiple channels.
Here are several benefits you can take advantage of as a travel nurse to make sure you’re taking care of and supporting your mental health while on (and off) assignment.
Employee Assistance Programs:
Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) offer professional assistance with personal, family, financial, and work struggles, often at no cost to the employee. Among various other benefits, these programs provide free telehealth therapy sessions, in-person access to behavioral health professionals, and substance abuse counselors.
Some travel companies are taking the extra step to ensure their travelers are well taken care of through EAP benefits. As Trustaff employees, our travelers have access to many EAPs, including telephone consults and counseling for issues of any kind through various providers. Many of these resources are available to all travelers regardless of if you are on agency health insurance.
There’s a lot your company can do to help support and protect your mental health, as well as various other benefits for career advancement, health and wellness programs, career coaching, financial planning, etc. Trustaff is proud to offer all of the above through our ACT Program. Check with your agency to see if they offer similar benefits.
Walk, work, or run it out:
According to the Anxiety & Depression Association of America (ADAA.org), even just five minutes of aerobic exercise can help lower cortisol, one of the primary hormones responsible for elevated levels of stress in the body. Utilizing fitness programs, either on your own, through a gym, or through a virtual community, will encourage you to get moving and may improve your mental health and emotional well-being.
Many companies offer assistance when it comes to staying fit or getting a workout in. Discounts to many 24-hour fitness facilities are usually a must when it comes to perks and benefits companies can offer to their travelers. Trustaff currently offers a discount to Planet Fitness which is a chain available in most areas all over the US.
If the gym isn’t your thing, something as small as a 15-minute stroll or run through a local park or around your current housing can boost your mental state, clear your mind and get some much-needed fresh air after a long shift in your facility.
Exercising physically is important, but exercising your mind through meditation is also a good way to boost your mental health. Check out some apps you can download to your phone, like, Calm and Headspace, to get your mental workout in for the day.
Surround yourself with support
Long before the pandemic, healthcare professionals experienced an unprecedented amount of burnout, depression, workplace stress, and anxiety. Our goal is to empower our travelers to be proactive about their mental health by destigmatizing mental illness and providing ongoing support and resources through their current careers and beyond.
Our healthcare heroes are our lifeline, and we are here to support you every step of the way. Take care of yourself and be well. We hope these mental support tips and suggestions are helpful while navigating your health through your assignments and career.
Crisis Resources
Crisis Text Line – Text HOME to 741741 to reach a Crisis Counselor
National Suicide Prevention Hotline – 800-273-8255
