Stressed out. Burnt out. Five essential ways to support the wellbeing of healthcare workers.

Tony Brennan

Healthcare workers are on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, and they are under immense pressure to provide care to patients while also trying to protect themselves and their families from the virus. It is not uncommon for healthcare workers to feel stressed out and burnt out, and it is important that they have support to maintain their wellbeing.

Here are five essential ways to support the wellbeing of healthcare workers:

Provide emotional support: Healthcare workers may be dealing with difficult emotions, such as fear, anxiety, and grief, as they care for critically ill patients. It is important to provide a safe and supportive environment where they can express their emotions and receive support from colleagues and supervisors.

Promote work-life balance: It is important for healthcare workers to have time for rest and relaxation outside of work to prevent burnout. Encourage them to take breaks and vacations when possible, and support them in finding ways to disconnect from work when they are off duty.

Offer opportunities for professional development: Continuing education and training can help healthcare workers feel more competent and confident in their roles, which can improve their overall wellbeing. Consider offering opportunities for professional development, such as conferences, workshops, and online courses.

Provide resources for self-care: Self-care is crucial for maintaining physical and mental health. Encourage healthcare workers to prioritise self-care activities, such as exercise, healthy eating, and getting enough sleep. Offer resources such as relaxation techniques, meditation and yoga classes, or counselling services to help them manage stress.

Foster a culture of appreciation: Acknowledge and appreciate the hard work and dedication of healthcare workers. Consider creating a recognition program or expressing appreciation through small gestures, such as providing meals or small gifts.

It is important to prioritise the wellbeing of healthcare workers, as they play a vital role in the healthcare system. By providing emotional support, promoting work-life balance, offering opportunities for professional development, providing resources for self-care, and fostering a culture of appreciation, we can support the wellbeing of these essential workers.

References:

World Health Organisation. (2020). Mental health and psychosocial considerations during the COVID-19 outbreak. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/mental-health-and-psychosocial-considerations-during-the-covid-19-outbreak

National Academy of Medicine. (2015). The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK201566/

American Nurses Association. (2020). Self-care for nurses. Retrieved from https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/workplace-safety/self-care/

Mayo Clinic. (2021). Burnout prevention and treatment. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/burnout/art-20046642

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We make efforts to support users of different forms of assistive technology (AT) by providing assistive text, subtitles and captions in our e-learning sessions, where appropriate. We also provide a high contrast version of our e-learning sessions for users with vision disabilities. This style can be enabled and disabled by selecting this icon Use high contrast stylesheet in the footer of the session.

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Access keys let you navigate around the e-learning session without using a mouse or other pointing device.

Table of Access Keys Used

Access keys are intended to provide an alternative form of navigation by using keyboard shortcuts. Please note that only numeric keys have been used in this e-learning session, in an effort to provide the alternative navigtation while not conflicting with any other software that may use access keys or any access keys already defined by the user themselves.

Some assistive technology tools such as the IBM HomePage Reader and WindowEyes already make use of the alt+[access key] combinations. As such, users of these tools may not be able to use some of these access keys.

0 - open this Access Keys Help page (this page). This web page opens in a new window.
1 - go to the first page of this e-learning session.
2 - skip to main content of current page.
3 - open the menu.
4 - go to the previous page in current session.
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6 - go to the help and support on the e-Learning for Healthcare website. This web page opens in a new window.

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Firefox (PC) - Hold down the SHIFT+ALT keys and the access key
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Stressed out. Burnt out. Five essential ways to support the wellbeing of healthcare workers.

Sahjogita Kathuria

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