It's the process of facing challenges with a growth mindset while engaging in healthy behaviors and habits using available tools. These tools will make a significant impact on your overall life and success- empowering you and your family to be contributing members of society before, during, and after your time with Interstaff.
Mental health encompasses our emotions, thoughts and mental well-being. When someone has a mental health disorder, it can affect their thoughts and behavior. Nurses are experiencing an unprecedented amount of burnout, depression & anxiety. We want to make sure we are promoting mental health, through awareness and prevention, and not waiting until it becomes crisis intervention.
Nurse burnout and other mental health concerns—such as compassion fatigue (similar to burnout, but more severe as it involves trauma, a decrease in the ability to sympathize, and a change in worldview), depression, anxiety, and risky substance use—are symptoms of a larger issue endemic within the nursing profession. Mental health issues are complex. They arise from genetic predisposition and environmental factors such as stressful work environments, workplace bullying, and workplace cultures that don’t support personal wellbeing. These environmental factors may prevent nurses from prioritizing their own self-care.
Self-care habits include getting 30 minutes of physical activity 5 days a week, eating five servings of fruits and vegetables per day, not smoking, limiting alcohol intake to one drink a day, getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep per day, and regularly practicing a preferred stress reduction technique, such as mindfulness. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, such practices can help prevent chronic disease and aid in reducing mental health condition symptoms. In addition, those struggling with a mental health issue can benefit from working with a mental health professional. (https://www.myamericannurse.com/promoting-nurse-mental-health/)
We have provided these resources to help address different mental health topics & bring awareness to the importance of mental health, but if you are experiencing symptoms beyond this module, PLEASE reach out to the Employee Services Team.
If you are seeking help, we have three free counseling sessions through our insurance for every employee (it does not matter if you have elected into our insurance or not).
When to seek help:
It can be challenging (especially as a nurse) to determine whether you are experiencing a natural response to a stressful event or dealing with a more serious mental health issue. Only a professional such as a psychologist, psychiatrist or licensed professional counselor can accurately evaluate your mental well-being and suggest a plan for treatment if necessary.
However, there are some signs to look out for when assessing your own mental health and deciding if professional help is necessary: