The Emotional Toll on Nurses in the Post-COVID Era
Have you ever had a period in your professional nursing career when you were wondering if what you were doing was making a difference?
It has been over two years since COVID, and according to the American Nurses Association:
the emotional health of nurses has remained unchanged, and two-thirds of acute care nurses continue to report feeling stressed, frustrated, and exhausted.
In this workplace survey, only 42% of nurses shared they felt the workplace was healthy. Other parameters included: only 20% of nurses indicated feeling “supported,” 17% “motivated,” and 11% “fulfilled” and “empowered.” Bullying and incivility in the workplace has also been a problem. It would seem there is little to be excited about in our current practice environments.
What can we do to bring more satisfaction and work/life balance?
10 Tips to Create Meaning in Nursing and Nurse Coaching
Tip 1: The Importance of Planning Time Off
Plan for time on your calendar not to work, whether that is at home or work. Creating space on your calendar for all family obligations is important and so is time not to work.
Tip 2: Social Media Sabbatical
Consider taking a sabbatical including a social media sabbatical. Disconnecting from the daily news cycles, social platforms, and daily media habits, puts some space between what is happening in the world and yourself. It can be like a pause or a breath.
Tip 3: Setting Career Goals for Holistic Growth
Grab a cup of herbal tea, a pen and paper, and spend some time reviewing what your career goals are in the next year, five years, and ten years. Does it include an advanced degree or a certification that will enhance your well-being, knowledge, and experience?
Tip 4: Community and Family Engagement
Would you like to dive deeper into how working with families and communities might be enriching to you?
Tip 5: Moving Beyond the “Carrot and Stick”
Consider walking away from the “carrot and stick” mentality by developing your inner resources, such as learning about meditation or yoga.
Tip 6: Aligning Work with Personal Values
Reflect on what you value in your life and how you might bring more of what you value into your life. Perhaps it is introducing more creative work or picking up a hobby you have not done in a while.
Tip 7: Social Engagements for Emotional Well-being
How are you bringing more enjoyment into your life through social engagements? Is there time in your life for social relationships? If not, what can you do today to start? Perhaps there is a friendship you have let burn out or you would like to have more communication with people you connect with?
Tip 8: The Power of Volunteer Work
What volunteer work would bring more satisfaction into your life? Do you like talking with others? Is there a skill or a talent you have forgotten about because you don’t use it in your professional work? Where could an organization use those talents?
Tip 9: Shifting to a Meaningful Mindset
Shift from a consumption mindset to a meaningful mindset. Have you let go of spiritual or religious practices that were enriching? What brings you hope? What activities do you find yourself drawn to when life gets difficult? Nourishing your spirit and finding activities to fill you up are important to life satisfaction.
Tip 10: The Transformative Power of Gratitude
Lastly, gratitude! Find at least one experience or person you are grateful for each day. Recall the things you are grateful for each day either at the beginning or the end of the day. If you struggle to find the words to fill your cup, consider learning how to use hypnosis! The way we speak to ourselves, and others, does matter and either creates health or dis-ease in the mind, body, and spirit.
Overwhelmed? You’re Not Alone
Taking the First Step Towards Change
If life is already overwhelming and the thought of doing one more thing insurmountable, I hear you. The past several years have been unpredictable and unprecedented, but YOU matter, and how you determine your future begins with one small step.
Your Journey to a More Fulfilling Nursing Career
What Resonates with You?
As you read the tips, what struck you at the heart? Which one really resonated? I encourage you to try the one that matters and do it for a week. Every change starts with one small step consistently, and each day builds upon the next.
If you need someone to help you stay on track, reach out to a friend or colleague, ask them to check in with you or better yet, ask them to join you on this new adventure!
The Integrative Nurse Coach® Academy also offers free coaching sessions with a registered nurse in the Integrative Nurse Coach® Certificate Program.
Holly Kapusinski is a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and Integrative Nurse Coach® with a passion for nurturing children and families. With a background in healthcare and a focus on nutrition and alternative healing, she established Life Cycle Balance LLC to promote holistic wellness. Her expertise extends to stress management, brain health, and non-violent communication. Holly's dedication to community extends to volunteering and leading wellness seminars. She dreams of creating a wellness center and authoring a book on healing from trauma as a Nurse Coach. Her interests include languages, cycling, hiking, and exploring new horizons.
