Self-care
Nurses are under tremendous stress as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fortunately, several self-care resources are available.
Well-Being Initiative (nursingworld.org/thewellbeinginitiative) offers free tools and apps to support the mental health and resilience of nurses. Resources include:
- The “Nursing State of Mind” podcast, in which two veteran nurses discuss coping mechanisms with practical ideas to renew your energy, confidence, and passion for nursing
- “After Work Checklist,” which you can use to help decompress at the end of your shift
- “Moodfit” app, which you can use to prioritize and track sleep, nutrition, exercise, and more from your phone.
The initiative was developed by the American Nurses Foundation in partnership with the American Nurses Association, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, American Psychiatric Nurses Association, Emergency Nurses Association, and Association of PeriOperative Registered Nurses.
Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation™ Grand Challenge (healthynursehealthynation.org) is an initiative that connects and engages nurses, employers, and organizations around improving nurses’ health in five areas: physical activity, nutrition, rest, quality of life, and safety. Discussions and blogs provide tips you can apply in your life.
National Academy of Medicine Action Collaborative on Clinician Well-Being and Resilience (bit.ly/3tGDqiX) has a dedicated page of resources designed to support clinicians during the pandemic. It includes a list of suggestions you can use to promote your health and well-being, such as meeting basic needs, taking breaks, staying connected, respecting differences, staying updated, performing self–check-ins, and honoring your service. Details can be found at bit.ly/2MRmYM6.
Remembering those we’ve lost
This special section recognizing Nurse Heroes would be incomplete without acknowledging the nurses and other healthcare workers who have lost their lives to COVID-19. They risked their lives to care for others, and they leave behind a void in the lives of friends, families, and colleagues.
Several sources exist to help remember those we’ve lost.
- Read “Lost on the Frontline,” a collaboration between Kaiser Health News and the Guardian newspaper that recognizes the sacrifices of healthcare workers and others on the frontline of the pandemic (bit.ly/3tJ8n5Y).
- Submit names of nurses who have died from COVID-19 at the American Nurses Association’s Nightingale Tribute webpage (bit.ly/2LxsSkY).
- Read strategies for recognizing a colleague who has died by suicide (also applicable to other causes of death) in “Navigating the loss and grief of a nurse suicide” on page 14.
Everyone at American Nurse Journal joins with others in recognizing those who have made the ultimate sacrifice during the pandemic.
Further reading
Many more articles from nurses, including personal reflections and strategies for caring for patients with COVID-19, are available on the American Nurse Journal website (bit.ly/3rz7jjo). In addition, several articles in ANA on the Frontline have focused on nurses’ experiences (bit.ly/3jypBhT).
