Mental Health & Wellness for Nurses
This guide aims to provide resources and information to help nurses manage their mental health and maintain overall wellness amidst the demands of their profession.
What is Mental Health?
Mental health refers to the state of an individual's emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It is a crucial aspect of overall health and impacts how individuals think, feel, and behave. Good mental health contributes to an individual’s ability to handle stress, relate to others, and make decisions. It plays a vital role in determining how well someone can function in their personal, professional, and social life.
Importance of Mental Health:
Emotional Well-being
Psychological Well-being
Social Well-being
The Impact of Nursing on Mental Health
Nursing is a highly demanding profession that comes with a unique set of stressors and challenges. Some of the common factors contributing to stress and mental health concerns in nursing include:
High Workload and Staffing Shortages: Nurses often work long hours and handle high patient volumes with limited resources. Staffing shortages can exacerbate workload and stress. Increased workload can lead to physical exhaustion, mental fatigue, and heightened stress levels.
Emotional Strain from Patient Care: Nurses frequently deal with patients experiencing severe illness, trauma, or end-of-life situations. The emotional burden of witnessing suffering and loss can be significant. This emotional strain can contribute to compassion fatigue and emotional burnout.
Irregular Shifts and Long Hours: Nurses often work irregular shifts, including nights, weekends, and holidays. The lack of consistent sleep and work-life balance can affect mental health. Irregular schedules can disrupt circadian rhythms, leading to sleep disturbances and increased stress.
High-Stakes Decision Making: Nurses make critical decisions that can affect patient outcomes. The pressure to make the right choices in high-stress situations can be overwhelming. Constant decision-making under pressure can lead to anxiety and stress.
Workplace Environment and Safety Concerns: Exposure to hazardous conditions, such as infections or violent patients, can contribute to stress and health risks. Concerns about personal safety and health risks can contribute to anxiety and job dissatisfaction.
Interpersonal Conflicts and Team Dynamics: Navigating complex team dynamics and conflicts with colleagues or supervisors can create additional stress. Poor workplace relationships can affect job satisfaction and mental health.
Stress and burnout in nursing can have significant effects on both physical and mental health:
Mental Health Effects:
Physical Health Effects:
Wellness Frameworks
8 Dimensions of Wellness provide a balanced approach to well-being:
Emotional Wellness: Managing emotions and stress effectively. Strategies include: Self-care, therapy, supportive relationships.
Environmental Wellness: Maintaining a healthy environment. Strategies include: Reduce waste, eco-friendly practices, clean surroundings.
Financial Wellness: Managing finances to reduce stress. Strategies include: Budgeting, saving, financial education.
Intellectual Wellness: Engaging in lifelong learning. Strategies include: Read, explore hobbies, critical thinking.
Occupational Wellness: Finding satisfaction in work. Strategies include: Set career goals, professional development, work-life balance.
Physical Wellness: Maintaining a healthy body. Strategies include: Exercise, balanced diet, regular health check-ups.
Social Wellness: Building positive relationships. Strategies include: Foster relationships, social activities, empathy.
Spiritual Wellness: Finding purpose and meaning. Strategies include: Explore beliefs, practice mindfulness, seek purpose.
Mindfulness & Meditation
Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to the present moment with a non-judgmental and accepting attitude. It involves being aware of your thoughts, feelings, and surroundings, which helps reduce stress and improve overall well-being. Meditation is a technique used to cultivate mindfulness by focusing the mind and calming the body.
Benefits of Mindfulness and Meditation:
Start Small: Begin with short, 5-10 minute mindfulness sessions each day. Even brief periods of mindfulness can be effective.
Set a Routine: Dedicate a specific time each day for mindfulness, such as in the morning or before bed, to build a consistent habit.
Mindful Moments: Practice mindfulness during everyday activities, such as eating, walking, or waiting. Focus on your senses and the present moment.
Use Reminders: Set reminders on your phone or computer to prompt brief mindfulness exercises throughout the day.
Combine with Other Activities: Integrate mindfulness into other routines, such as while exercising or during breaks at work.
Be Patient: Building a mindfulness practice takes time. Be patient with yourself and focus on gradual progress rather than perfection.
Regular exercise offers numerous mental health benefits, including:
For nurses with demanding schedules, incorporating exercise can be challenging but manageable. Here are some routines and activities suited for busy professionals:
Short Workouts:
Desk Exercises:
Walking or Jogging:
Stretching and Yoga:
Bodyweight Exercises:
Strategies for Effective Time Management
Prioritize Tasks:
Set Specific Goals:
Time Blocking:
Avoid Multitasking:
Use Tools and Apps:
Delegate Tasks:
Take Breaks:
Set Clear Boundaries:
Schedule Personal Time:
Learn to Say No:
Use Flexibility Wisely:
Communicate Effectively:
Evaluate and Adjust:
Burnout:
Compassion Fatigue:
Burnout: Primarily related to the work environment and workload, characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a reduced sense of accomplishment. It typically develops over time due to ongoing stress and work-related demands.
Compassion Fatigue: Specifically related to the emotional toll of caring for others, characterized by emotional numbness, reduced empathy, and withdrawal. It often occurs suddenly and is linked to the direct exposure to others' suffering and trauma.
Institutional Support and Policies
Mental Health Services and Community Care by
This critical interdisciplinary study charts the modern history of mental health services, reflects upon the evolution of care in communities, and considers the most effective policies and practices for the future. Starting with the development of community care in the 1960s, Cummins explores the political, economic, and bureaucratic factors behind the changes and crises in mental health social care, returning to those roots to identify progressive principles that can pave a sustainable pathway forward. This is a groundbreaking contribution to debates about the role, values, and future of community care, and is vital reading for students, teachers, and researchers in the field of social work and mental health.
Professional Well-Being by
Although data exist to support the notion that physician self-care is correlated with patient care, the culture of medicine has traditionally valued the ideals of self-sacrifice and perfectionism--often to the detriment of clinicians themselves. Professional Well-Being: Enhancing Wellness Among Psychiatrists, Psychologists, and Mental Health Clinicians, the result of a collaboration by several psychologists and psychiatrists in the School of Medicine at Stanford University, posits a new culture, one that is supportive of the health and well-being of health care professionals and the patients and populations they serve. The book's first section examines individual and systemic barriers to professional well-being, chronicling the unique challenges faced by health care providers at different stages of professional and personal development. Detailed case studies and vignettes illustrate effective methods for reducing burnout while also enhancing professional fulfillment. Thought-provoking discussion questions encourage readers to focus on implementation tactics applicable to their own health care practices. Part II discusses personal resilience and realistic strategies--from the mental and social to the physical--to improve well-being. Specific exercises encourage mental health professionals to engage in pragmatic action for improved personal and professional well-being. Throughout the book, a wealth of tables and figures illustrate important points. The inclusion of "positive practices" and recommended readings offers readers the opportunity to integrate what they have learned and to expand their study. Patients benefit when treated by clinicians who value and model self-care. Professional Well-Being outlines for mental health care providers, including psychiatrists, psychologists, mental health clinicians, and trainees, how to become such a professional.
Science over Stigma by
Recent surveys have found that the vast majority of the public believes that mental illness is real and treatable. And yet, fewer than half of people with diagnosable mental illnesses get treatment in any given year, and of those who do, only half adhere to it. What accounts for the disconnect? According to Daniel Morehead, M.D., unchecked critiques of psychiatry--that it is impossible to define mental illness, that the neurobiology of major mental illnesses is unknown, that patients are overdiagnosed and overmedicated--has led to a public perception that mental health treatment is profoundly flawed. In Science Over Stigma, Dr. Morehead argues that it is time for a full-throated defense of mental health treatment, and that it falls to everyone, from medical and mental health professionals to the general public, to advocate on its behalf. In accessible terms this book sets forth a definition of mental illness, candidly discussing what is known and what remains unknown, and then describes its prevalence, social and physical consequences, and a range of treatments. Each chapter includes advocacy tips that help readers translate the information they've learned into the means for constructive dialogue. By clearly laying out the science behind mental illness and its treatment and vividly illustrating how common it is--affecting patients, their friends and family, and mental health professionals themselves--this volume seeks to turn the recognition of psychiatric illness into practical behavior, destigmatizing both the illness itself and the search for treatment.
Transforming Mental Healthcare by
One in five U.S. adults experiences a mental illness within a given year. With more than 550,000 people working to support this underserved community, the mental healthcare system has grappled with inadequacies and shortcomings in safety, quality, and care delivery. There is a wide range of problems, from access-to-care issues and errors, to complications stemming from poor care. Our country is also on an unsustainable path as our healthcare expenditure keeps growing. To add to all of this, we are facing a rampant epidemic of burnout among healthcare workers. Modern advancements introduced with many promises--such as electronic medical records, newer medications, or advanced treatments--have created unique challenges when ushered into a highly regulated healthcare system. What does it take to provide patients with everything they need--the right quality of care, at the right time, and at the right cost--to keep them healthy? Which process steps add value? Which steps are wasteful? A widely accepted fact is that a conservative 30-50% of every step in the mental healthcare process does not help patients feel better or stay better. When considering delays in care, workarounds, excessive documentation, and an overuse of auditing, the care system has moved highly skilled clinicians away from providing value, as administrative tasks continue to encroach on their time. There is a clear need to rethink and redesign the system of care. This book is a primer for understanding the current state of the mental health system and the performance improvement skills and leadership acumen needed to address existing challenges. Sheppard Pratt, the award-winning, leading institution for mental healthcare in America, provided the focus on mental healthcare and became the laboratory for this body of work over the course of eight years. It hired a seasoned systems thinker with improvement expertise to work with mental health professionals and solve some of their most complex and chronic problems. The book is a result of the collaboration between a practicing psychiatrist in a leadership role and the systems engineer. Working together, they demonstrate how to think about redesigning care and redefining the nature of work to enhance value for both the people served and the healthcare workforce. They crafted a multi-pronged approach towards culture change at Sheppard Pratt, including implementing a course on "Learning to Improve," which introduced staff to a performance improvement methodology. There are several vignettes interwoven throughout the book that describe the complexities and constraints of the system. Solving some of these challenges creates a new paradigm of work while minimizing waste and enhancing value.
Varcarolis' Essentials of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing by
Gain the essential knowledge and skills you need to succeed as a psychiatric nurse! Varcarolis' Essentials of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing: A Communication Approach to Evidence Based Care, 5th Edition provides a concise, easy-to-understand guide to today's leading psychiatric theories and therapeutic modalities. Emphasizing evidence-based care, the book balances coverage of scientifically based treatment approaches with insights into effective communication skills, so you will be prepared to offer the best possible care when you enter practice. Written by nursing expert Chyllia D. Fosbre, this edition adds new Next Generation NCLEX® (NGN) examination-style case studies to help you develop critical thinking skills and prepare for the NGN exam. Applying Critical Judgment questions introduce clinical situations in psychiatric nursing and encourage critical thinking. Neurobiology of the Brain feature includes illustrations depicting how a disorder affects brain function and how drugs help to mitigate the symptoms. Applying Evidence-Based Practice boxes in the clinical chapters pose a question, walk you through the process of gathering evidence-based data from a variety of sources, and present a plan of care based on the evidence. Vignettes describe real-world psychiatric patients and their disorders. Assessment Guidelines boxes summarize the steps of patient assessment for various disorders. Applying the Art boxes offer clinical scenarios demonstrating the interaction between a nurse and a patient, the nurse's perception of the interaction, and the mental health nursing concepts in play. Potential Nursing Diagnoses tables list possible nursing diagnoses for a particular disorder, based on ICNP terminology, along with the associated signs and symptoms. Nursing Interventions tables list interventions for a given disorder or clinical situation, along with rationales for each intervention. DSM-5 Criteria boxes identify the diagnostic criteria for most major disorders. Integrative Care boxes highlight the different types of therapy may be used to enhance treatment. Giddens Concept boxes at the beginning of each chapter tie concepts to the topics to be discussed. NEW! Next Generation NCLEX® (NGN) examination-style case studies are included in the clinical disorders chapters to promote critical thinking and help to prepare you for the NGN exam.
