Nurses Are Resilient But They Also Need Help

Nurses Are Resilient But They Also Need Help

by | Feb 18, 2023 | Nursing

Nurses are Resilient, But They Also Need Help

Nurses are resilient beings. Out of all professions, nurses have the most contact with the sick. They constantly face difficult situations regarding patient care, comforting families, and communicating with healthcare providers to deliver quality patient care.

Nurses are there, ever-present, and ready to help because they love their jobs. But who takes care of the nurses? What happens when nurses are battling their mental health issues? 

 

What Causes the Stress in Nurses?

Being a nurse is both physically and psychologically demanding. The amount of stress is always high at any given shift. All of which can affect the mental health of nurses. But what are the causes of these stresses? 

 

Long shift hours 

Some hospitals run short of nurses, and because of this, many nurses must extend their working hours to provide round-the-clock patient care. This includes overnight shifts, which could take around 12-16 hours.

Working hours affect the natural sleeping pattern. It leaves them feeling fatigued and exhausted even before their actual shift starts. Although nursing is a 24-hour job, there are no resources to help nurses. The expectation is to figure it out and show up. 

 

Heavy workload

The increase in demand for health care services and the number of nurse retirees are among the many reasons why the usual workload of many nurses doubled.

This situation has forced many hospitals and healthcare settings to function with skeleton crews. As a result, this makes the workload for existing nurses much heavier.

The lack of nursing staff leads to picking up overtime, further increasing their weekly workload and leading to burnout.

 

Death of a patient

Losing a patient can also take a toll on nurses. It is one of the most challenging parts of this job, especially when the nurse and patient form a bond. Although some nurses understand that they will lose some of their patients, it can still affect a nurse’s emotions. After all, nurses are human beings too.

Nurses face a constant emotional toll. They work with people in some of the worst times of their lives; no one ever wants to be in a hospital. Nurses feel those emotions, and it can be hard to separate them. While nurses are resilient, there is only so much they can take. 

 

Bullying at workplace

Nurses also experience bullying at work. It usually comes from co-workers with seniority privileges and even patients. A toxic workplace and coworkers can impact a nurse’s mental health.

Sometimes nurses forget that their coworkers are human too. The expectations are high, and some nurses forget that they don’t always know what they know now. 

 

Safety and health concerns

The lack of adequate personal protective equipment, as seen during the Covid-19 pandemic, inadequate staffing of nurses, and insufficient resources can cause safety and health concerns.

When hospitals do not provide nurses with protection during a health crisis or an adequate amount of staff, stress is inevitable. It also puts the health and safety of nurses at risk, putting the healthcare system in an even deeper hole. 

 

How can nurses manage stress? 

Stress will always be present no matter what we do; the key is learning to manage it more effectively.

Here are good examples of what you can do when you feel stressed at work:

  • Aromatherapy has proven to be effective in calming the nerves. It also reduces anxiety. Essential oils like lavender can help lower stress, so having a diffuser at work can help. Smelling something nice will always boost your mood, even if you are not a big believer in aromatherapy. 
  • Eating healthy can also help lessen stress. Start eating more fruits and vegetables to help increase your energy. Caffeine is helpful, but make sure not to overdo it. It would also help to keep yourself hydrated by drinking lots of water, especially if you have long shifts. The rule of thumb is to drink half of your body weight (in pounds) in ounces of water before your 12-hour shift. But if you can’t drink all that water, bring some to work. 
  • Be sure to engage in activities that help stimulate your mind, like puzzles, crosswords, or books. It helps reset your mind and keeps it busy but healthy and enjoyable.
  • Take time out to meditate. Align your thoughts and mind to focus on what you need to do. A good 10-minute break to meditate will help shift your mind into a better place and lifts your brain fog. 
  • Lastly, get enough sleep. Adjust your sleep schedule to get at least 6-8 hours of sleep each night, and try to sneak in a nap during the day or your shift. It will help improve your concentration and reduces the risk of making impulsive decisions. When your mind has rested, it can help you see things more clearly. 

 

When Should Nurses Seek Help for Their Mental Health?

Stress is almost synonymous with being a nurse. It comes with the job, and while many can adjust, some find it difficult to ask for help. So, when should you ask for help? Nurses are resilient people, but burnout can also take a toll on them.

Nurses should seek help once they’ve developed these signs and symptoms:

  • Rapid heart rate
  • Muscle tension
  • Headaches or frequent migraines
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Having nightmares
  • Trouble sleeping for days
  • Quick to anger or irritability
  • Feelings of guilt
  • Confusion or trouble concentrating or staying focused
  • Have difficulty remembering instructions
  • Being forgetful

Nurses with more pronounced mental health issues may also experience depression, inability to cope, and social withdrawal. They may also feel compassion fatigue or experience burnout, leading to a lack of empathy for patients.

When you’ve experienced these symptoms, seeking professional mental health assistance or support would be best. 

 

Looking for more nursing and travel nursing information? Check out these helpful links!

EP 202: Enrich Your Personal Life With Dr. Terri Ann Parnell

EP 202: Enrich Your Personal Life With Dr. Terri Ann Parnell

by | Feb 10, 2023 | Podcast

Enrich Your Personal Life With Dr. Terri Ann Parnell

To enrich our lives means we must fill our body, mind, and soul with experiences that give meaning to our being. We must fill our lives with those that teach us to be better people and challenge us to become the person we want to be.

It also means we must overcome the obstacles in our lives with courage and determination. Of course, we all want a happy and fulfilled life, but how can we do that? What are our personal goals? And most importantly, how can we enrich our personal lives so we can also live our lives to the fullest?

In this episode, we want to introduce you to Dr. Terri Ann Parnell. Dr. Terri Ann Parnell is a nurse, a recognized health literacy expert, and an award-winning author.

She is the principal and founder of TAP Wellness Coaching and Health Literacy Partners. Her extensive nursing career incorporates hospital and health system management, administrative and leadership roles, and faculty roles in schools of nursing, medicine, and health care administration.

Questions for Our Guest

The questions below are some we’d like to tackle. We often go off-topic, so we don’t expect to hit them all. If you have any ideas, please let us know.

Looking forward to our conversation!

These are the questions you had in Calendly. We’ll go off your questions and wherever else our conversation goes.

  • Can you give us a little background about yourself? 
  • Why did you start TAP?
  • What do you think nurses and other healthcare professionals are lacking or needing? 
  • What are the five pillars of TAP, and how can they help healthcare professionals?
  • How can nurse change their nutrition?
  • How can nurses move more?
  • How can nurses sleep more soundly?
  • How can nurses practice self-care?
  • How can nurses build resilience? 
  • What changes should be implemented in healthcare or even a unit? 
  • If you could change one thing in healthcare, what would it be?
  • So many nurses are leaving the bedside; how can we get better retention?
  • Do you think there’s a nursing shortage, or do nurses not want to work bedside?


Ending Questions

Before we end the show, we have one last question we like to ask all our guests.

If you had the opportunity to have a Cup of coffee with anybody one last time, who would it be & why? 

 

Links: 

Sign-Up for “Tuesdays with TAP” weekly email for resources, tips, and new upcoming opportunities. https://www.tapwellnesscoaching.com/ 

You can also connect with Dr. Parnell on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/tapwellnesscoaching/ 

Or check out their Facebook page at  https://www.facebook.com/TerriAnnParnell 

To learn how to enrich your personal life better, click here for the full episode 👇👇👇

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Introduction
01:53 About Dr. Terri Ann Parnell
05:02 What do nursing and healthcare professionals lack?
07:45 The challenging part of being the leader
09:42 Which sector of our healthcare system requires the most assistance?
12:01 What issues are hospitals facing today?
15:56 The 5 pillars of wellness
18:17 The most prevalent issue we all have
21:47 What you can do to address your sleep issue
26:29 Self-care practices you can do
28:22 Becoming a resilient nurse
31:45 How to find a balance between work and life
34:22 Building self-confidence
38:13 Dr. Terri’s desire for medical care
39:30 How Dr. Terri’s program works
44:49 Issues that frequently plague healthcare professionals
47:40 Wrapping up the episode

 

 

Standing Up for Your Health

Standing Up for Your Health

by | Jan 16, 2023 | Mindfulness

Standing Up for Your Health

Being an advocate for your own health is essential, especially as you age. If you feel you’re not receiving the right type of treatment, you may need to address previously overlooked health concerns or simply take a more active role in physical and financial matters involving your health. Advocating for your health and taking full responsibility for your own care can be both empowering and rewarding. So here are some tips from The Cup of Nurses to help you get started!

Maintain Healthier Habits

One crucial way you can advocate for your health is by actively maintaining it. Exercising and eating healthy on a consistent basis will help you to feel better and avoid illnesses and injuries more consistently. Having more physical strength also enables you to continue living independently. Working out often enough can be challenging if you have a busy work schedule but small movements throughout the day. Yoga can be a fun and challenging way to keep fit, as well!

Be Prepared

If you’re unsure what you might be dealing with, pull up some symptoms and express your concerns. To make things a little easier, you can always organize medical records and other important documents on a PDF. This free tool will enable you to edit a PDF online, which you can then save to your iPhone for easy access once you reach the doctor’s office.

Prepare for Insurance Needs

If you’re unsure about a diagnosis, get a second opinion! Whether or not you have Medicare, you need to know how your insurance policy in Virginia works, what it covers, and how often you can use it.

Stand Up for Your Care Needs

If you’re unsure about a diagnosis and want a second opinion, you shouldn’t feel bad about getting one. You’re the last defense against poor medical care and should be adamant about getting opinions you trust and being sure about them. If you don’t feel like the medical professional in Alexandria, you’re currently seeing is providing adequate care, don’t hesitate to explore other options.

Look After Yourself

Taking an active role in maintaining your health is essential. Not only does improving your health have a tremendous impact on your body, but it can also benefit your mind as well. When your body is healthy, you’ll feel less depressed. What’s more, your stress levels may decrease, too.

Be Brave

Dealing with health concerns or chronic conditions is never easy, so you’ll want to get familiar with your insurance plan and financial arrangements, hold your doctor accountable and ask questions. Don’t be afraid to involve a loved one if you need help or emotional support.

The Cup of Nurses is your source for current health news and hot nursing topics. If you have any questions, please contact us at marketing@cupofnurses.com.

Post solely for the use of cupofnurses.com By Roxanne Brent
Follow her at: https://singleparent.info/

EP 196: What is Sports Psychology With Sean O’Connor

EP 196: What is Sports Psychology With Sean O’Connor

by | Dec 31, 2022 | Podcast

What is Sports Psychology With Sean O’Connor

Sports psychology is a practical skill that helps address athletes’ optimal performance and well-being. How can this be used? And what do you know about sports psychology? 

Traumas and repressed emotions can affect us in the long run. Some of us can handle these emotions well, while others displace them, creating more trauma, stress, fear, anger, resentment, depression, and anxiety.

How can people heal from this? Is there a way to work through these feelings? 

In this episode, we would like to introduce you to Sean O’Connor. Sean is a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) at Peaceful Living Mental Health Counseling in Scarsdale, NY.

He specializes in sports psychology and trauma-informed counseling to help adults and athletes overcome anger, depression, anxiety, PTSD, and stress. 

To treat his patients, he uses a combination of EMDR therapy, mindfulness, meditative science, polyvagal theory for nervous system regulation, and neurofeedback when working with clients.

Sean loves working with athletes and survivors of past trauma to help them heal from the past, love the present, and have hope for the future.

Questions for Our Guest

The questions below are some we’d like to tackle. We often go off-topic, so we don’t expect to hit them all. If you have any ideas, please let us know.

Looking forward to our conversation!

These are the questions you had in Calendly. We’ll go off your questions and wherever else our conversation goes.

  1. Can you give us a little background about yourself?

2. How did you get into Sports Psychology & what is sports psychology?

3. How do Athletes cultivate their identity? 

4. What does it take to improve your mental health?

  • What is the simplicity of happy living?
  • What are some common stigmas in mental health?

5. How does holistic health play a role in mental health?

6. What is the Polyvagal theory?

7. What is the problem with the age of information? 

8. Martial arts

ENDING QUESTIONS

Before we end the show, we have one last question we like to ask all our guests. If you had the opportunity to have a Cup of coffee with anybody one last time, who would it be & why? 

Connect with Sean through his Instagram @peacefullivingcounseling Or visit their website at https://www.peacefullivingmentalhealthcounseling.com/. 

Do you want to know more about sports psychology? Click here for more 👇👇👇

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Introduction
02:11 About Sean O’Connor
08:41 What is the language of an Athlete
12:13 The most frequent problems that athletes face
15:35 What transpires when an athlete leaves their sport
17:37 How to guide struggling athletes
22:34 What are the traits of an athlete
25:27 How to overcome extreme pressure and performance anxiety
30:38 How to communicate to a person who is tense and fearful
36:02 How important is physical health to mental health
40:16 How to recognize danger and when it exists
43:25 How our emotions make our consciousness
48:18 The negative impacts of the modern age of information
52:31 What makes EMDR more efficient
58:43 How martial arts enhance both mental and physical health
01:08:03 How martial arts foster self-control
01:11:45 The significance of a warm community
01:19:48 What separates an elite athlete from the rest
01:22:13 Wrapping up the show

EP 195: Psychotherapy & EMDR with Stephanie Polizzi

EP 195: Psychotherapy & EMDR with Stephanie Polizzi

by | Dec 23, 2022 | Podcast

Psychotherapy & EMDR with Stephanie Polizzi

Psychotherapy & EMDR are therapies for many mental health issues, but what is it all about? What goes on during these sessions? 

Feeling anxious or stressed is something that we don’t want to feel. But unfortunately, we all go through this. Some of us have good coping skills, while others cannot deal with these negative emotions.

The bad news is that we will go through many stressful life situations. The good news is we can overcome the negative thoughts that cause us to be anxious. How can we do it? What steps should we take to rid ourselves of anxiety? And can psychotherapy & EMDR help? 

Our Guest

In this episode, we would like to introduce you to Stephanie Polizzi. Stephanie is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) at Peaceful Living Mental Health Counseling in Westchester County, NY.

She also works with teens and adults struggling with eating disorders, anxiety, trauma, behavioral challenges, and life transitions.

Stephanie is also a trained Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapist at a trauma-informed practice. She uses a combination of EMDR, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and other modalities when working with clients.

Questions for Our Guest

The questions below are some we’d like to tackle. We often go off-topic, so we don’t expect to hit them all. If you have any ideas, please let us know. Looking forward to our conversation!

These are the questions you had in Calendly. We’ll go off your questions and wherever else our conversation goes.

  1. Can you give us a little background about yourself?
  2. How did you first get involved with therapy? What made you want to become a psychotherapist? 
  3. Your primary focus is on adults, teens, and children, specifically those with eating disorders, anxiety, and challenging behaviors; what made you go down that path?
    • How does a teen with an eating disorder act?
    • What does an anxious teen look like?
    • What are some challenging behaviors teen show?
    • Is there a core reason why teens exhibit those problems (eating disorders, anxiety, challenging behavior)? Where do these issues stem from, or what is the teen looking to solve with those behaviors?
    • Do these issues mainly come from trauma or some issue the persona has with society or their parents?
  4. How do you figure out the core issue with children or teens going through these difficult times? Do you talk to them, and they eventually open up and speak about it?
  5. Once you figure out the problem, how do you solve it? How do you take the teen with an eating disorder and show them how to solve whatever they are going through correctly, or how do you make the teen with challenging behavior content with their situation?
  6. What is EMDR, and how does it work?
    • Have you found success with it, or is it an approach you take when other things fail?
    • What does an EMDR session look like?

ENDING QUESTIONS

Before we end the show, we have one last question we like to ask all our guests. If you had the opportunity to have a Cup of coffee with anybody one last time, who would it be & why? 

Catch or connect with Stephanie through her socials via:

Instagram: @peacfullivingcounseling

Website: https://www.peacefullivingmentalhealthcounseling.com/ 

Stephanie about: https://www.peacefullivingmentalhealthcounseling.com/stephanie 

Learn more about psychotherapy and EDMR by watching the full episode here 👇👇👇

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Introduction
01:48 About Stephanie Polizzi
03:18 How therapy helped Stephanie
05:10 The patients’ common problems
06:46 What is EMDR
10:10 What takes place during an EMDR therapy session?
13:19 How does an eye movement fix our suppressed body
18:42 How Stephanie went about studying eating disorders
20:58 The reasons why people have an eating disorder
23:02 The common issues that adults and teenagers have
25:16 How to approach someone with an eating disorder
28:21 Indications that a patient is benefiting from the treatment
32:30 What to do if you’d prefer not to see a therapist
35:40 A determination to improve yourself
39:59 Contemplating positive aspects
44:47 Understanding when to seek help
48:27 The negative implications of sickness labeling
53:16 The lack of expertise in managing eating disorders
58:52 A healthcare system that will benefit us
01:04:56 The gains of mental health awareness
01:08:10 Wrapping up the show