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Well-being SWT

Welcome to the ASPAN Well-being Strategic Work Team Resources webpage!

Click here for a list of free Well-being Apps to download!

Well-being is critical for our health. During these times of uncertainty, it is even more important to invest in ourselves to allow us to better care for others. This corona virus pandemic is a marathon, not a sprint, and there are strategies that can help us thrive. ASPAN is committed to your well-being and health.

In 2017, ASPAN launched a research study on Perianesthesia Nurse Burnout and Resiliency. Participation was open to any of the almost 15,000 ASPAN members through completion of an anonymous voluntary electronic survey. This survey included the first use of newly created Self Identify Burn Out survey (SIBO) and this particular assessment allowed for a richer understanding of nurse burnout and resiliency.1  As the principle investigator for this research project, I used the findings from this study  to create the pilot ASPAN Resiliency Workshop offered at the 2019 National Conference. As a nurse who had experienced an episode of job burnout early in my career, this experience spurred an interest later as a nurse researcher. This interest has resulted in 4 national studies and 2 single site studies, as well as creation of ASPAN’s Well-being Strategic Work Team (SWT). As an organization and as individuals, there are many things we can do to improve the well-being of our work environment and our own wellness.

Historically, nurses ignore their own needs to meet the needs of their patients. In the American Nurses Association Executive Summary of their Health Risk Appraisal, they report that 68% of the nurses surveyed shared they put the safety, health, and wellness of their patients before their own.2  This is a sad situation to me. We would never ask those we care for to endure the same conditions of denial (dehydration, standing for long hours, etc.) that we repeatedly ask of ourselves. The time has come for a change in our mindset and culture. Being just as kind to ourselves as we are to those serve, can drastically improve our quality of life. There is a line in the short story, The Butterfly, written by Danish author and poet Hans Christian Andersen, that sums this up: "Just living is not enough, one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.”3

The ASPAN Well-being SWT will be sharing evidence-based resources and creating education on well-being topics ranging from self-care to strategies to decrease workplace violence. They will be sharing items here and on the ASPAN Well-being Facebook page.

Thank you and take care.

Elizabeth Card, DNP APRN FNP-BC CPAN CCRP FASPAN FAAN
ASPAN President 2020-2021

Elizabeth Cooper BSN RN CPAN CAPA
Well-being SWT Coordinator


References

  1. Card EB, Hyman SA, Wells N, Shi, Y, Shotwell MS, Weinger MB. Burnout and resiliency in perianesthesia nurses: findings and recommendations from a national study of members of the American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses. J Perianesth Nurs. 2019;34(6):1130-1145.
  2. American Nurse Association. Executive summary. Health risk appraisal. Accessed July 1, 2020. https://www.nursingworld.org/~495c56/globalassets/practiceandpolicy/healthy-nurse-healthy-nation/ana-healthriskappraisalsummary_2013-2016.pdf
  3. Andersen HC. The Butterfly. In: Eventyr og Historier (fairy tales and stories). 1861

Well-Being Webpages

  1. Building your resilience - American Psychological Association found at https://www.apa.org/topics/resilience. Resilience is adaptation in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or stress: family/relationship problems, health problems or workplace/money issues.
     
  2. Promoting resilient families during COVID-19 - Center for Childhood Resilience at Children's Hospital of Chicago found at https://childhoodresilience.org/resources-1
     
  3. How to deal with uncertainty during coronavirus - ReachOut.com (the most accessed online mental health service for young people and their parents in Australia) found at: https://au.reachout.com/articles/how-to-deal-with-uncertainty-during-coronavirus.
     
  4. How to deal with uncertainty during coronavirus | Coping with COVID-19 | ReachOut Australia Feeling stressed is an understandable response to the current coronavirus pandemic. You might be worried about catching the virus, about how your loved ones will cope, about the disruption to your studies and routines, and about whether you’ll still have a job and enough money.  au.reachout.com

Well-Being Podcasts

  1. Understanding Social Distance (8:50)
    Listen for an interview with Katherine Schlatter on what social distancing means in the face of COVID-19.Found at: https://globalalliance.podbean.com/e/katherine-schlatter/
     
  2. Easing Anxiety in an Uncertain Time (14:48)
    This podcast with Cynthia Handrup, President of the Global Alliance, discusses some of the evolving mental health-related issues that individuals and families are experiencing. It examines actions that each of us can take to assist others and help ourselves in this uncertain time. Found at: https://globalalliance.podbean.com/e/easing-anxiety-in-an-uncertain-time/

Well-Being Apps

Happify

Need a happy fix? With its psychologist-approved mood-training program, the Happify app is your fast-track to a good mood. Try various engaging games, activity suggestions, gratitude prompts and more to train your brain as if it were a muscle, to overcome negative thoughts. The best part? Its free! (Free; iOS and Android)

 


What’s Up

What’s up is an amazing free app that uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) methods to help you cope with Depression, Anxiety, Stress, and more. Use the positive and negative habit tracker to maintain your good habits, and break those that are counterproductive. We particularly love the “Get Grounded” page, which contains over 100 different questions to pinpoint what you’re feeling, and the “Thinking Patterns” page, which teaches you how to stop negative internal monologues. Try it out for yourself. (Free; iOS and Android)


Anxiety Apps

MindShift

MindShift is one of the best mental health apps designed specifically for teens and young adults with anxiety. Rather than trying to avoid anxious feelings, Mind Shift stresses the importance of changing how you think about anxiety. Think of this app as the cheerleader in your pocket, encouraging you to take charge of your life, ride out intense emotions, and face challenging situations.(Free; iOS and Android)

 


Self-Help for Anxiety Management (SAM)

SAM might be perfect for you if you’re interested in self-help, but meditation isn’t your thing. Users are prompted to build their own 24-hour anxiety toolkit that allows you to track anxious thoughts and behavior over time, and learn 25 different self-help techniques. You can also use SAM’s “Social Cloud” feature to confidentially connect with other users in an online community for additional support. (Free; iOS and Android)

 


Breathe2Relax

Sometimes you just need to breathe and remind yourself you are okay. Breathe2Relax is made for just that. Created by the National Center for Telehealth and Technology, this app is a portable stress management tool that teaches users a skill called diaphragmatic breathing. Breathe2Relax works by decreasing the body’s ‘fight-or-flight’ stress response, making it a great option for people suffering from PTSD. (Free; iOS and Android)

 

 

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