Support Group for Nurses

Nurses Stress 101

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I am an RN working to start nursing support groups at the hospital where I work. Do any of you have support groups for nurses at your hospital and would you go if it was offered? We are hoping to give nurses a place to talk and destress. Any ideas would be great! Thanks!

Specializes in Acute Care Cardiac, Education, Prof Practice.

Stress in nursing and the idea of support groups is near and dear to my heart, but I too have felt resistance in my workplace to the idea of creating one. During my MSN studies I spent a lot of time researching stress and nursing. I am of the mindset that hospitals and LTAC/NHs need to have, what I have dubbed, the "nurse counselor" on board. This person would be a nurse with bedside experience, who also holds a degree in counseling. Then this person would be available to the staff nurses/PCTs through the EAP program to help staff work through difficult situations such as sexual harassment, death of a patient, abuse, and family-work stressors. I think there is something about nursing that is can be as stressful as police work and firefighters that needs to be attended to.

However, you may have more luck helping out your facilities nurses by focusing on another area that is showing more and more positive research, breaks. I was surprised by the amount of research that is starting to happen on the positive effects of nurses actually getting to take a 30 minute lunch break. This may be a great opportunity to do an EPB project for your hospital and I guarantee staff will be more behind a lunch break initiative than a support group one.

In reference to the support group and its main prerogative, is there a bulletin board you could use to create an information center for stress reduction? Perhaps listing the benefits of the EAP (my last job allotted for 2 counseling sessions a year, but I wouldn't have know if I hadn't asked), night shift routines to decrease stress, who to talk to for patient issues like harassment etc?

Best of luck!!

Tait

On the one hand, your idea is very kind. On the other hand, I think that having a support group would increase the potential for a nurse being flagged for HIPAA violations. When nurses vent, it's usually about particular patients and their families, and in general the venting is done with just one or two trusted friends. Having an organized vent session with everyone invited would give those with less than good intentions lots of ammo against a nurse if she happened to reveal anything she shouldn't while unloading some of her frustrations.

Call me cynical, I know.

Specializes in Neuro ICU and Med Surg.

I have been so stressed I went to EAP. I had 6 or so sessions and then if I wanted to continue I had to be referred to behavioral health and develop a relationship with a different counselor.

I like Tait's idea of a nurse with bedside experience and counseling degree. That would be wonderful.

I'm a 45 year old new nurse. I have worked in various careers since I was 16 and have never felt the need for a support group at any of the jobs I have had. I don't really feel the need for a support group in nursing either. What I feel the need for is seasoned nurses that will actually try to train rather than leaving hanging out to dry. This is the first career I've had where I feel like the veterans know I'm screwing up and are all just kinda gathered around to watch the fireworks go off when it all falls apart.

I like your idea of starting a nurse support group. I am in the process of starting one as well. I'm intentionally making it completely independent from the hospital. I think having it in the workplace may make nurses wary of the ramifications of expressing any dissatisfaction.

Nursing is an all encompassing profession in which we deal with whole humanity on a very raw level. Having nourishment and support around it only makes sense and there ought not to be shame around it. Any high functioning professional gives themselves the necessary resources to perform at their highest potential. Professional gymnasts have a masseuse, physical therapist, coach, etc. Many of my professor friends have therapists so they can work through their personal stuff so it doesn't interfere with their work. For we nurses to take our profession and ourselves seriously, we out to support our tribe.

I'm happy to keep you in the loop as our group evolves. Strong work and good luck!

I agree with the bedside nurse as a counselor. I think they have insight into the situation that other therapists may not.

Horseshoe,

I agree that having a support group can increase the potential for nurses to vent about specific patients; however, it can also provide an opportunity for nurses to 'unload' in a more productive manner. They can share their experience without getting caught up in the storyline. They can talk about how things impact them rather than focusing on the 'crazy' patient they had. As nurses we easily get caught up in having the 'best' story. How empowering would it be if we shifted the focus and use it to learn more about ourselves.

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