Nurses need ‘self-compassion’, says mental health expert

This article has some amazing strategies and they are so valuable to try to reduce the stress of nurses. The big issue in nursing is that nurses find it so hard to give to themselves especially when the healthcare system is asking them to continue to work extra when they really need a break.

Conversations with a lot of nurses are about the lack of compassion towards them by organisations and that they don’t recognise their worth. They show no extra support and expect nurses to work short-staffed with nothing extra to show for it. No wonder they are discouraged. Something has to change and it needs to be more than mindfulness.

I worked a clinical shift myself last night and we took on more patients per nurse as we were working short again. Also, I had a student nurse to teach as well and the busyness of my load meant I couldn’t teach her about medications as we didn’t have time. The patient always comes first. So working short-staffed and teaching a student meant I felt very stressed because of the pressure I was under. The night staff came onto the shift and there was 2 staff for 24 patients. I could feel the discouragement as they realised they had 12 patients each and this included some sick patients as well. This is the reality out there and mindfulness is just not going to cut it I’m afraid.