Innovative Ways Hospital Systems Can Support Nurses' Mental Health
Nurses play a critical role in the healthcare system, providing essential care to patients and supporting doctors and other healthcare professionals. However, the job of being a nurse can be extremely demanding, both physically and mentally, which can lead to burnout, stress, and other mental health issues. Therefore, it is essential for hospital systems to prioritize and support the mental health of their nurses. In this blog, we will discuss some ways in which hospital systems can support the mental health of their nurses.
Provide Mental Health Resources
Hospital systems can provide mental health resources and encourage nurses to seek out mental health counseling services, given the demands of their job. Doing so, normalizes counseling while making it easier for people to obtain these services. This could mean providing nurses with Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) that provide free counseling services as a benefit. This could also entail forming relationships with reputable counseling practices in the local community that accept your nurses’ health insurance. Such collaborations can help ensure that your nurses are able to obtain counseling services quickly.
Hospitals can also consider providing educational resources, such as workshops and training sessions, to help nurses recognize signs of stress and burnout and to provide them with tools and strategies to manage their mental health.
Provide Nurses and Other Hospital Staff with Consistent Work Schedules
Despite the documented research that swing shifts are associated with negative health outcomes, hospitals continue to utilize this practice. As a result, healthcare providers end up exhausted which results in job dissatisfaction, potential medical errors, and inability to engage in meaningful activities when off the clock due to fatigue and the need to catch up on rest. Hospitals would be wise to modify the way that they’ve always done things by considering the health and needs of their vital employees.
Encourage Work-Life Balance and Basic Self-Care
Hospital systems can encourage work-life balance through words, actions, and policies. This can mean setting boundaries around communicating with staff when they’re off the clock. This can also mean refraining from requiring staff to stay for an extra shift or additional days that were not part of their original schedule.
It’s important that hospital systems encourage nurses and other staff to stay home and use their sick time when they are sick. Some workplaces, including healthcare facilities, continue to nonverbally encourage their healthcare providers to show up to work, even when they are sick and interacting with patients. In this way, healthcare facilities send mixed messages: We are a facility that helps improve people’s health, but we do not have a comprehensive system in place to encourage the health and well-being of our staff. Hospital administrators can work on prioritizing health for their patients and staff in a way that is evident through words, actions, and policies.
Promote a Positive Workplace Culture
Hospital systems should foster a positive workplace culture that values and prioritizes the mental health of their nurses. This can be achieved by creating a culture of respect, empathy, and support. Hospitals should also encourage open communication and feedback to ensure that nurses feel heard and valued. From there, hospitals can use that feedback to implement necessary changes for supporting their nurses.
Provide Adequate Staffing
Nurses often experience stress and burnout due to heavy workloads and understaffing. Hospital systems should ensure that they have adequate staffing levels to minimize the workload and stress on their nurses. Nurses are helpers, so it can be difficult for them to set boundaries and say “no” to additional shifts and responsibilities.
After all, they realize that the manager who is asking them to work longer is another nurse (like them) who is dealing with the same systemic issues from the hospital’s administration. Hospital systems put nursing staff in difficult and compromising situations when they are not fully staffed on a consistent basis.
Recognize and Reward Nurses
Hospital systems should recognize and reward their nurses for their hard work and dedication. This can be done through various means, such as employee recognition programs, bonuses, and awards. Recognizing and rewarding nurses can help boost morale and promote a positive workplace culture.
Nurses are an essential part of the healthcare system, and their mental health is just as important as their physical health. This can be a difficult concept for hospital administrators to understand as many medical training programs continue to focus on treating physical health with very little attention given to mental health and other holistic preventative services for wellness. Our hope is that hospital systems and administrators who TRULY value their nurses and workforce will consider ways that they can support the many staff members who provide vital services to the hospital and community at large.
At LifeSpring, we are happy to provide guidance, consultation, and collaboration to hospital systems in the Greater Baltimore area who are looking to better support their employees’ mental health. Feel free to contact us if we can be of support. Our office has worked with my nurses in the Baltimore area, and we value the important work that they do.
Workplace Wellness Programs
LifeSpring Counseling Services offers Workplace Wellness Services that include educational workshops, experiential workshops, and retreats. If you believe that your workplace could benefit from these services, you can 1. share this information with your supervisor or company CEO, or 2. if you are the person in charge, just fill out this form.
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Photo Credit: Thirdman, Ivan Samkov, and Andrea Piacquadio
Date of download: 3/22/2023
