The Importance of Nurse Well-being and How to Achieve It.

Abstract

Why is taking the time to focus on my well-being so important? What steps can I take to focus on my well-being?A Marian Altman, PhD, RN, CNS-BC, CCRN-K, and Sarah Delgado, MSN, RN, ACNP, reply:Giving attention to well-being is a challenge for many nurses. Nurses’ professional focus on others; personal roles in the care of children, older adults, or close friends; physical exhaustion from working shifts; and lack of time are all factors that contribute to this challenge. At the same time, attention to nurse well-being is essential to patient safety1 and the future of the profession.What exactly is well-being? It is more than the absence of suffering. The American Psychiatric Society defines well-being as a state of happiness and contentment, with low levels of distress and intact physical and mental health.2 Similar to quality of life, well-being varies from person to person. The factors that influence a person’s individual definition of well-being may include physical, emotional, social, spiritual, intellectual, and economic status. Identifying a personal definition of well-being provides a goal that guides the steps to achieve it.Shifts in health care delivery and the state of the work environment magnify the threats to nurses’ well-being. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, health care teams experienced dramatic changes related to technology, regulation, policy, and societal trends, as well as time constraints and ethical dilemmas related to the care of high-acuity patients. The pandemic brought challenges such as increased workloads, increased turnover, and insufficient resources. The pandemic also brought uncertainty in both our personal and professional lives, creating emotional and mental stress. In this article, we provide steps nurses can take to promote healing and address suffering. Because nurse well-being is inextricably linked to the work environment, we describe strategies at both the individual and unit levels.Just as well-being is multifactorial, there are a wide range of symptoms that indicate you are suffering from stress, including the following: An appraisal of your current state to raise self-awareness is a key step toward well-being. Using the free online Stress Self-Assessment tool3 is one approach to promote a focus on well-being.Suffering has many forms. Moral distress, burnout, and compassion fatigue are recognized through research as key threats to nurse well-being and nurse retention. Although these problems are linked to the work environment and can affect all members of the health care team, moral distress often resonates particularly with nurses, who may lack a voice in hospital operations, patient care orders, or other decisions that affect their work.Consider these definitions to determine the threats to your well-being4: In seeking specific steps to promote well-being, we must recognize our sphere of control. National Teaching Institute 2021 SuperSession speaker Mel Robbins noted that there are 2 things we can control: how we think and what we do next. We cannot change the past or make decisions for others about how they act. Exerting control over how we think about the problems we face can lead to positive action.Because of the influence of the work environment on nurse well-being, interventions must occur at both individual and unit levels. In addition, a single action to address suffering is seldom sufficient; more often, well-being comes from an ongoing commitment such as incorporating specific strategies into a routine. Consider taking some of the following actions for yourself: Consider implementing the following actions in your unit with your colleagues: The COVID-19 pandemic compounded existing challenges in the health care system and has taken a toll on nurses’ well-being. Supporting nurses’ well-being requires attention and action, not just now, but in the future as well. Some folks recognize us as heroes, but we are humans and have needs that must be addressed.