S TAFF WE L FARE
negotiable at this time. You need to make sure you look after your basic physical and mental health needs or you won’t be able to look after others. l Eat well and look after your body. Don’t skip meals or breaks, take some exercise as it is the single most helpful tool to help you manage your mental health.
l Beware of unhelpful coping strategies. Alcohol and tobacco fall into this bracket although they may well have a negative effect overall.
l Get enough sleep; it can be a challenge at this time, but is essential to making sound decisions.
l Find ways to care for yourself. It may be flowers, it may be chocolate. Get creative!
l Connect. Keep in touch with your nearest and dearest to reduce your isolation. They are often your best support and they will want to help.
l Watch out for excessive stress, fatigue and sudden exhaustion. You may need to go further than the self help strategies and refer yourself to GP, hospital occupational health or other available support services. Many Trusts have set up new services to support staff at this time of need.
There are many apps, videos and self help learning programmes available which may give you the support and help you need. They do not take too much looking for; use self-care, mindfulness and other key words to search for the support you need.
Conclusion We will not get through this pandemic intact without looking after key workers.
As surges occur (we have not yet got to a state where vaccination is helping to reduce people being infected), we have to be able to manage ourselves for the long haul. Many aspects of the current mental health crisis can be mitigated; we can reduce fear by the correct dissemination of information and the provision of training and education. With a dynamic disease, we all need to keep up with developments and new treatments. Education of healthcare workers, their families and the wider public can lessen stigma and discrimination. Trusts must provide suitable rest and care facilities as well as taking a proactive approach to supporting their overstretched and exhausted staff.
CSJ
References 1 Woodhead K. Supporting nurses to deliver high-quality care. Clinical Services Journal November 2020 Accessed at https://www.
clinicalservicesjournal.com/story/34150/ supporting-nurses-to-deliver-high-quality-care
2 Woodhead K . Care and compassion: primary needs for staff. January 2021 Clinical Services Journal Vol 20 issue 1.
3 Society of Occupational Health Medicine July 2020 The mental health and well being of nurses and midwives in the United Kingdom. Accessed at
https://www.som.org.uk/sites/som.org.uk/files/ The_Mental_Health_and_Wellbeing_of_Nurses_ and_Midwives_in_the_United_Kingdom.pdf
4 The psychological impact of covid -19 and other vial epidemics on frontline healthcare workers and ways to address it: A rapid systematic review. Brain, Behavior and Immunity - Health Vol 8 October 2020 Accessed at
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/ article/pii/S2666354620301095
5 Ibid 6 Stevenson Farmer Review. Thriving at Work: a review of mental health and employers. 2017 Accessed at
www.gov.uk/government/publications/ thriving-at-work-a-review-of-mental-health-and employers
7 Health and Safety Executive. Mental health conditions, work and the workplace. Undated. Accessed at
www.hse.gov.uk/stress/metal-health.htm
8 Gerada C, Walker C Covid fatigue is taking an enormous toll on healthcare workers. May 2020. Accessed at
https://blogs.bmj.com/ bmj/2020/05/04/covid-fatigue-is-taking-an- enormous-toll-on-healthcare-workers/
9 RCN Bulletin Mindful Moments Accessed at www.
rcn.org.uk/ magazines/bulletin/2020/april/ mindfulness-tools-in-a-crisis-stress-meditation- covid-19
10 SilverCloud Health Blog. Stress management tips for healthcare workers during covid-19 Accessed at
https://www.silvercloudhealth.com/us/blog/ healthcare-workers-and-covid-19
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