Are you a Health Changer?

Are you a Health Changer?

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Most nurses understand the importance of health and well-being not only for us personally, but collectively as individuals who are in the ‘caring and serving’ profession of nursing. Research has linked health and well-being to patient outcomes.1 Essentially, how healthy we are matters to us and our patients.

The term ‘well-being’ is used across many different sources. However, how is well-being defined and what are the specific elements that can be used to evaluate whether an individual is not only healthy or well but does demonstrate a vibrancy of life that is well-lived.2 According to Gallup researchers Rath and Harter, well-being is the cumulative, yet essential elements that can be improved so we can have a worthwhile life.2

One of the well-being elements identified by the Rath and Harter team is physical. Which speaks to the ability of individuals to be healthy AND have the energy to perform the tasks that are important.2 With that concept of well-being in mind, my question is how does a nurse leader create the environment that prioritizes the health and well-being of themselves and their nurses? AND how can health and well-being initiatives be part of the activities of the unit/department, service line, and hospital’s daily routine?

In the September 2021 American Nurse Journal, the Salle, Weaver, Martinez, and Maina team did a masterful job of highlighting the health needs of night nurses along with specific interventions that this team used daily to increase the level of physical activity for themselves and their colleagues. Over the course of several weeks, individuals who participated in the group exercise program demonstrated a higher sense of joy, fellowship with their colleagues, along with higher levels of energy that they used to fulfill the needs of their patients.3 Though the Salle article focused on night nurses, nurse leaders can adopt their strategies so teams can improve the physical element of well-being. Focusing on the health and well-being of nurses is vital to our success and that of our patients.

Additional evidenced-based resources to help you be a health changer for you and your teams are provided below:

  1. Balik, B., Hilton, K., White, K. (2020). Conversation and Action Guide to Support Staff Well-being and Joy in Work (IHI White Paper). Institute for Healthcare Improvement. https://isqua.org/images/COVID19/IHITool_Conversation-Guide-to-Support-Staff-Wellbeing-Joy-in-Work-COVID-19.pdf
  2. Lacey, S.R., Craighead, D.V. (2022). Managing Time and Stress. In D. L. Huber and M. L. Joseph (Eds.), Leadership & Nursing Care Management, 7th edition, (pp. 85-98). Elsevier. ISBN: 978-0-323-69711-8.
  3. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019. Taking Action Against Clinician Burnout: A Systems Approach to Professional Well-Being. The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/25521.

References

  1. Melnyk, B. M., Tan, A., Hsieh, A. P., Gawlik, K., Arslanian-Engoren, C., Braun, L. T., Dunbar, S., Dunbar-Jacob, J., Lewis, L. M., Millan, A., Orsolini, L., Robbins, L. B., Russell, C. L., Tucker, S., & Wilbur, J. (2021). Critical Care Nurses’ Physical and Mental Health, Worksite Wellness Support, and Medical Errors. American Journal of Critical Care, 30(3), 176–184. https://doi.org/10.4037/ajcc2021301
  • Rath, T., Harter, J. (2010). Well Being: The Five Essential Elements. Gallup Press. ISBN: 978-1-59562-040-8.

POSTED ON LINKDIN 10/6/21