May 31, 2021
Nursing faculty begins pilot project for well-being of students, faculty and staff
The profession of nursing is stressful and the process of becominga registered nurseis equally challenging. That is one reasonUCalgaryNursing is launching an innovative nursepractitioner(NP)-led mental health and well-being clinic this fall.
When the facultyformally adopted the ɫ Campus Mental Health Strategy(CMHS)in 2018, the commitment was to develop an emotionally safe, caring learning and working environment where nursing students, faculty and staff thrive.
“With the added angst that the pandemic has brought on, we have seen more and more of our nursing community challenged,” saysDr.Sandra Davidson, dean ofUCalgaryNursing. “We wanted to offer an in-house supportforour well-being.”
NP andUCalgaryNursing instructor Sandy Strachan understands the toll of nursing stress. “I have been in the trenchesas an advanced practice RN;frontline work is demanding and there is always a costif we don’t take care our own health needs,” she says.
Strachan,whohas aspecialization in addiction and mental health,will be managing the clinic. Shealso helped develop the faculty’s graduate certificate in this area.“We need skills, aseducators,thatweare able toutilize so we canbegoodrole models for our students. Wealsoneedtolearn to be well. When I thinkof(ancient Greek physician Hippocrates quote) ‘first,do no harm,’ Ialsothink of ‘do no harm to yourself’ and we have tobe better advocate forthat.”
Strachan’s role will be as “bridge builder." She says, "I will act as a liaison and help ourcommunity—whether it isstudents, faculty or staff—find the resourcesneeded to feel well orhelp stabilizemental healthso someone feels well enough to access those resources.”
She adds that the crisisof COVID-19 has created an all-newset ofanxietiesfor nurses.
There isfatigue,timepressure, overwork, unresolved griefandalingering occupation trauma that will take time to resolve. COVID-19 hasplaced immensestressonthehealth-caresystems, and the cracks are now visible. We need to help identify and shore up those cracks, now that we can see them; that includes addressing cracks that have appeared within yourself.
A few students have already been referred to Strachan by UCalgaryNursing’s undergraduateassociate dean and course co-ordinators, and shewas able to direct them to resourcesas well asprovidetargetedinterim counseling and support. But theultimategoal is not to be reactive. Strachan is hopefulthat a proactive approach may help mitigate long-term mental and emotional fallout.
“It’s kind of like having a smokedetector that needs batteries,” she explains. “You hear that beep and if you do nothing about it, you may forget about it until disaster happens.
“I am hoping to build capacity in our faculty with a preventive program that helps with time management and self-care and firmly establishes a culture of safety and trust. It will take time, but in five years, we will see a change where our faculty environment ismore nourishingand saferfor everyone working within it.”
The pilot clinic is supported byUCalgaryNursing with some funding from the Olympia Charitable Foundation.
“My role as a leader is to create a culture and set the bar for how we work together in a way that honours not just our academic and professional excellence, but also our personal wellness,” Davidsonsaidwhen the faculty began creating awellness plan for work and study.
“We’ll produce better nurses and will be better positioned to attract talented researchers and top students.”
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