As we celebrates another World Mental Health Day in October 2024, Global Nurse Force is taking a step for its nurses by highlighting the setting of mental health in the healthcare profession.
In the era of woke culture, even if we are aware of the importance of mental health in the workplace, often few strategies are implemented to ensure it.
Healthcare workforce constitutes the core of the service industry and is a very demanding job.
Despite its challenges, nursing remains a highly respected profession, renowned for the profound impact it has on patients’ lives. Nurses derive immense satisfaction from their meaningful work, which often involves providing critical care and support to those in need.
But to ask a relevant question: Is the healer actually healed? On this October 10th, Global Nurse Force as part of its efforts of ensuring a fulfilling life for nurses, is suggesting a few essential mental health tips for nurses and spreading a word on bridging the gap between nursing and mental health.
Explore 5 essential strategies that will help nurses and employers to improve mental health in the workplace and ensure an enriching lifestyle:
1. Self care is a must care
Nursing profession is all about taking care of other individuals. As professionals who efficiently ensure this physically and emotionally, you must make time for activities that help relax and recharge.
Even outside work, nurses have familial responsibilities and use their free time to tend to those needs. Creating a regular and fixed self care routine will help nurses prioritize themselves and in turn deliver quality care happily.
2. Setting boundaries is not a crime
Setting boundaries is not a sign of weakness but a necessary tool for self-preservation. This is one of the most important mental strategies for nurses to avoid burnout.
Nurses are often caught in the demanding whirlwind of the profession, and can easily succumb to burnout if they don’t establish clear boundaries between their work and personal lives.
Creating a proper disconnect from work and personal life is an unavoidable mental health practice.
3. Communication is key
Clearly communicate your boundaries to your colleagues and supervisors. Make a collective decision to enforce workplace strategies for mental health through open communication. Talking openly about your experiences to a relatable crowd will create the feeling of safe space.
Join support groups or talk to other nurses who understand your challenges of the profession. Feeling heard and connected will create a huge difference in improving mental health in the workplace.
4. Never stop learning
Notice how children are packed with energy? That’s the curiosity inside their mind driving them to seek answers, explore and understand the new and big world around them.
Even if you are a professional, you have yet to have experience in your field and outside. Opportunities are abundant in today’s world. This could be related to your profession or not.
For example, you can take up a new language class or pottery class or music class if it gives you happiness. Or If you want to work in specific care or master a new skill you can talk to your superior and get assigned to projects connecting with your interest. If you want to explore nursing jobs abroad, you can start your IELTS/OET training. If you want to improve your confidence and language you can take up interview training.
Improving your professional life can be a sure shot way to improve mental health in the workplace and it’s a way to keep the curious child inside you positively stimulated.
5. Water your connections
Humans are all about connections. When we feel connected to others, we are less likely to experience feelings of isolation and loneliness, which can have a detrimental impact on our mental health.
Maintaining meaningful and understanding relationships within and outside the workplace is essential to make both these compartments of life worthy of coming back to, a safe and happy place worth striving for.
This will ultimately help you upgrade your nursing career as well as help maintain a work life balance.
Conclusion
As we observe World Mental Health Day 2024, it’s essential to reflect on the mental well-being of those who are at the forefront of care—the nurses.
Let’s take this opportunity to ensure that while nurses are healing others, they too are receiving the care and support they deserve. Together, we can create a healthier, more supportive work environment where mental health is prioritized, and nurses can truly flourish.
Global Nurse Force stands with you, today and every day, in your journey to a fulfilling and balanced nursing career.