Healthy Nurse Healthy Nation: The Community You Didn't Know You Needed

NurseWriter_AJP, PhD, RN

The Well-Being of Nurses Everywhere

Over the last several years, nurses have come together and battled more than most other professions. We've stared COVID-19 in the face while helping our patients fight off other illnesses like the flu and RSV. Some have worked in unsafe staff-to-patient ratios. Many have also moved away from bedside in hopes they'll feel more valued and fulfilled in other nursing roles. There have been few resources responding to the physical and mental well-being of nurses.

What is Healthy Nurse Healthy Nation?

Healthy Nurse Healthy Nation (HNHN) is an initiative started by the American Nurses Association Enterprise to connect nurses and empower them to take positive action in several domains of our lives. HNHN is an online community where participants can access program content, interact with other participants, and complete the HealthyNurse survey. These online forums allow you to connect with other nurses with shared interests in that particular domain. Read about the domains offered below.

Rest. The American Heart Association recommends 7-9 hours of sleep each night as part of their Life's Essential 8 program to encourage more heart health practices. In the rest domain on the HNHN website, you'll find discussions on sleep hygiene and everyday nurses discussing their stories about practicing better sleep habits.
Physical Activity. In this domain can find the Get Your Heart Pumping challenge, sponsored by Humana. This is a ten-day challenge during the month of February to support heart health. According to AHA, adults should get 2 ½ hours of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week. Even if you miss this challenge, you can still find participants posting workouts completed to encourage you to get out and move more.
Nutrition. Have you ever grown tired of eating the same meals over and over again when trying to practice better eating habits? If so, check out the nutrition forum, where members are sharing some of their favorite recipes and snacks and their experiences with eating better. Note: healthy eating will look different for everyone.
Quality of Life. Quality of life is another domain that focuses on getting nurses to recognize their personal needs. Whether you need tips on stress management or on making suggestions to your employer on what they can do to keep nurses healthy, this domain has discussions on something for everyone.
Safety. Your safety is important not only because you take care of others in the workplace, but because you are an important part of your family, whether it's your family at home, work, or school. The safety domain is a forum that discusses safety at work and while driving and even provides some resources for meditation and self-care.
Mental Health. Mental health is the newest domain added to the HNHN initiative. Mental health is critical for nurses, as we sometimes endure more than we should. A study reviewing the annual HNHN survey responses over a four-year period found that when analyzing the mental health of nurses before and during COVID-19, nurses in year 4 had a 19.8% probability of anxiety disorder, 16.7% probability of depressive disorder, and 34.4% probability of feeling sad, down, or depressed for two weeks; in year one, nurses had a 14.0% probability of anxiety disorder, a 13.9% probability of depressive disorder, and a 26.8% probability of feeling sad, down, or depressed for two weeks. In the mental health forum online, you can find helpful resources for nurses.

Why Does this Platform Matter? Because You Matter.

Our physical and mental well-being matters and this community was created to elevate our voices and remind us that we are not alone in many of the challenges we face at work and at home. Each domain in the HNHN community allows you to create a "commitment" to living a healthier version of yourself. This commitment will hold you accountable for working toward being the best version of yourself. You can also find blogs relevant to each domain. If you are in need of a community to support your efforts to be a healthier you (in mind and body), visit Healthy Nurse Healthy Nation for more information.

References/Resources

Life's Essential 8: How to Be More Active [fact sheet]: American Heart Association

Life's Essential 8: How to Get Healthy Sleep [fact sheet]: American Heart Association

Healthy Nurse Healthy Nation Survey: American Nurses Association Enterprise

The Beginner's Guide to Meditation: American Nurses Association Enterprise

How Employers Can Help Keep Nurses Healthy: American Nurses Association Enterprise

Mental Health Help for Nurses: American Nurses Association Enterprise

Self-Care For the Caregiver: American Nurses Association Enterprise

Life's Essential 8: American Heart Association

Trends in Mental Health Indicators Among Nurses Participating in Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation From 2017 to 2021