Between the pandemic and a dire staffing shortage, health care workers are under immense pressure. Over the last few years, the nature of our work has changed dramatically. Many of us are worried about keeping ourselves, our families and our patients safe.
Needless to say, it’s understandable if our levels of stress, anxiety and exhaustion are higher than usual.
It’s okay not to be okay.
Now more than ever, it’s important to look out for each other and ourselves. We all need a bit more self-care and self-compassion.
Recent CFNU research shows that nurses feel more comfortable expressing their anxieties and feelings to fellow nurses who can better appreciate their particular situation. If you can, lend a compassionate ear, but please know that there are mental health professionals ready and willing to help you and your colleagues.
If you experience any form of acute mental distress, please dial 911 or contact your local crisis line.
Your unions have fought for your access to Employee Assistance Programs (EAP). This valuable resource is available anytime; calls are answered by mental health professionals with a background in counselling, social work or psychology. They can also refer you to external community resources if your needs require more than short-term counselling.
For more information on EAP, please speak with your employer or your union.
Wellness Together Canada is Canada’s first and only online platform offering immediate, 24/7 mental health and substance abuse support for all ages – and it is funded entirely by the Government of Canada. CFNU has partnered with Wellness Together Canada to share this resource with health care workers, their families and their patients. The platform offers a stepped care approach, where users choose the level and types of support they are most comfortable with – from a mental health self-assessment, to mindfulness workshops, to live phone, video or text counselling with a mental health professional or crisis responder.
Go to WellnessTogether.ca for free support, available 24/7. You can also access the service anonymously if you prefer.
For immediate crisis support, front line workers are encouraged to text FRONTLINE to 741741.
The Canadian Psychological Association has called on on all registered psychology practitioners to consider donating some of their time to provide psychological services to front line health care providers who may be feeling stressed, overwhelmed or distressed by being on the front lines of this health crisis.
On their website, you will find a list of psychologists who have agreed to return calls for requests for service within 24 hours of their receipt and to provide services at no charge.
Kids Help Phone has stepped up to offer mental health support to frontline health care workers during this difficult time with the following options:
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health reminds us that this may be a very challenging time for children and adolescents.
Click here for tips on how to talk to your children and family about COVID-19 and its impact (PDF).
On May 4, 2020, CFNU President Linda Silas held a Facebook Live event to dicuss ways we can better support our mental health through the COVID-19 pandemic. The conversation featured Candice Bellegarde, registered psychiatric nurse and Dr. Jeff Morley, registered psychologist and board-certified expert in traumatic stress.
On November 2, 2020, Linda hosted a Facebook Live chat with Wellness Together Canada partners Kathy Hay, CEO of Kids Help Phone, Sean Slater, executive VP of martketing for Homewood Health, and AnnMarie Churchill, executive director of Stepped Care Solutions. The Facebook Live event focused on the mental health supports that health care workers can access through Wellness Together Canada.
If you’re looking for ways to unwind and disconnect from all the news, the Nova Scotia Nurses’ Union and the New Brunswick Nurses Union have created an “escape” section on their website. It’s jam-packed with e-books, virtual tours, games, guided meditation videos, exercises, hobby tutorials and more.
Check out NSNU’s Escape page here.
Check out NBNU’s Mind Spa here.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention proposes the following ways to manage your anxiety during the pandemic:
