Self-Care Resources
The nursing profession offers many advantages and attracts people who are willing to help others. Showing up everyday for others is a noble pursuit...and it can leave one feeling overwhelmed and stressed. While self-care is certainly not the complete answer, it can be one component of working towards more balance. See below for potential resources to assist nurses:
Building Resiliency
As nurses you often face intense stress and building resiliency can help. Dr. Lucy Hone provides some important tools in her Ted Talk, The Three Secrets of Resilient People. Not only is she a resiliency researcher, but she was forced to take her own advice after experiencing a personal tragedy.
Psychological First Aid: This presentation was developed by the University of Washington Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences for UW Medicine's healthcare managers. It is a guide to identifying distress, taking supportive measures in the moment and building resiliency during a crisis. It is based on World Health Organization's Psychological First Aid: Guide for Field Workers and Psychological First Aid Adapted for the Ebola Outbreak.
American Nurses Foundation has created a new Well-Being Initiative to help address the mental health needs of nurses including how to build resiliency.The Well-Being Initiative offers resources that focus on caring for nurses as they tirelessly care for others.
Stress Management
Moodfit application provides tools and insight to improve the fitness of your mind. Tools include mood tracking, gratitude journal, mindfulness meditation, breathing exercises and more. Thanks to a grant from The American Nurses Foundation, nurses have access to the full premium version of Moodfit at NO cost.
The American Heart Association offers information about managing stress including breathing techniques as well as a selection of videos.
Unwound Retreats was founded by former Critical Care Nurse Nicole Johnson, RN, BSN, CCRN. Based in Seattle, she is passionate about guiding nurses to be proactive in their approach to battling burnout and building resiliency. She provides local and international retreats for nurses as well as workshops utilizing self-care practices such as yoga, meditation and mindfulness as well as gratitude and self-compassion exercises. Nicole shares these links to practical self-care exercises: Self-Compassion Exercise, Gratitude Practice, Loving Kindness Meditation.
Mental Health Support
Open Path Psychotherapy Collective is a nonprofit that connects people to affordable mental health care. It offers access to a national network of licensed therapists providing in-person or online sessions at significantly reduced rates. Clients pay a one-time lifetime membership fee to join. After registering, they can browse the therapist directory and schedule sessions directly. No insurance is required. The membership fee is nonrefundable unless no therapist is available within 10 business days.
The Emotional PPE Project works to reduce barriers healthcare workers face in seeking, accessing, or receiving emotional and mental health support. What started as a conversation between two friends in April 2020 amidst the beginning of the Covid pandemic has grown into a national organization dedicated to bringing awareness and solutions to the barriers healthcare workers face in receiving mental health care. To date, we have provided 2400+ healthcare workers with free mental health support and championed countless more with our research and advocacy efforts to remove structural bias within the healthcare system.
"Ready to Respond: Mental Health Beyond Crisis and COVID-19" by the American Psychiatric Nurses Association is designed to provide tools and resources to help nurses deal with traumatic stress.
Local Crisis Lines
King County 24-hour Crisis Line: Call or Text 988 or 206-461-3222 or 866-427-4747
- Help for a mental health, drug and/or alcohol-use related crisis or suicide prevention.
Self Care for Nurses- Video Series
Washington Center for Nursing produced Self Care for Nurses, a Matter of Life & Death, a series of short videos that reflect on ways nurses can manage stress. Topics include exercise, nutrition, sleep, therapy, acceptance and more. Host Sofia Aragon, JD, BSN, RN, Executive Director of Washington Center for Nursing, discusses topics with Stefan J. Torres, BSN, RN, CEN, a local ER nurse and public health advocate.
Frontline Nurses WikiWisdom Forum
John Hopkins School of Nursing and American Journal of Nursing teamed up to create the
Frontline Nurses WikiWisdom Forum along with a final report with powerful insights into lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Resources for Nurses: Washington State Nurses Association
Find out about your state's professional nurses association: WSNA In addition to offering union support, WSNA provides a great place for nurses to build their profession through education, advocacy, networking and much more. Get involved today!
King County Nurses (KCNA) is an official Region of WSNA. If you are a member of WSNA and designated King County as the county where you work/live, then you are automatically a member of KCNA. We are happy to serve as your local nurses association.
American Nurse Association
ANA offers a vast array of resources for nurses on a national level with a variety of benefits for members. You are a member of ANA if you are a member of WSNA. See ana.org for all the details.
Special Project
The MentorLink project provides opportunities for new nurses and experienced nurses to connect, share and learn.
Nursing Events/Self Care
KCNA offers continuing nursing education and other events. Explore self-nurturing practices.
