Self-care is key to maintaining the mental and emotional health of oncology nurses

Holiday cheer is all around us, but oncology RNs still face the realities of burnout and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Nurses with severe mental illness have been in the news since traveling nurse Nicole Linton was charged with killing six people in a horrific car accident.¹

Nicole Linton is a 37-year-old traveling nurse currently in prison in Los Angeles, California.¹ She quit her job at a major LA hospital and was involved in a horrific fatal car accident.

Linton is being held on $9 million bail, but was later removed as a possibility. She is charged with six counts of murder and five counts of manslaughter for her gross negligence.¹ This case highlights the vulnerability of nurses with mental health issues.

Nurses, like the general public, are at risk for serious mental health problems. Therefore, it is important for RNs to pay attention to the well-being of their colleagues and learn to instill self-care practices into their daily workflow.

Mental health issues and RN

Nurses suffer from burnout and PTSD, and are at real risk of suicidal ideation and suicidal tendencies. PTSD symptoms were identified in 22% of RNs in two studies, and 18% of RNs assessed met the parameters for her full-blown PTSD diagnosis.² Female RNs are more likely to complete suicide than women outside the healthcare setting (11.9% vs. 7.5%). Additionally, more male nurses commit suicide than men in the general population. (39.8 compared to 28.2 per 100,000).²

The American Nurses Association (ANA) formed a task force in 2019 to investigate the issue of nurse suicide.² Data reveal that the prevalence of common mental illnesses among healthcare workers is 40% for anxiety, 49% for PTSD, 37% for general distress, and 37% for depression.² Regarding suicide compared to female doctors, female nurses have a 70% higher suicide rate.²

Solutions for nurses

The solution to these mental health issues may lie in the ANA Nurse Code of Ethics.² This code states that nurses have a duty to practice self-care in addition to patient care. This is an international theme. Similar solutions for RN self-care are being promoted in Japan, Australia, Canada, and the UK.²

Additionally, Gene Watson’s theory of human caring promotes self-care in nurses as an integral part of practice.² It also explains that nurses should be kind to themselves and show compassion. This is necessary to provide patients with the same level of care.

In addition to facilitating talking about self-care theory, some other solutions are more practical and include “pizza parties, coffee bars, meditation rooms, and self-care modules.³ Employers should assess the mental health care needs of their employees. He has two groups that are trained to deal with mental health issues in healthcare settings. They are certified mental health nurses and nurse coaches.³

The stigma will continue in 2022

Nurses advocate for social work and provide psychological counseling for patients in oncology and other settings. Stigma still exists when it comes to oneself and mental health.³ There may also be double standards in this scenario. It is acceptable to have patients with mental illness, but colleagues with the same problem may not be treated in the same way.

The topic of resilience is the elephant in the room here. Nurses are taught to be resilient, flexible, adaptable and their superpower is to multitask. These attributes, while admirable in the world of nurses, can backfire. Psychiatric nurses can go unnoticed until a mental health emergency occurs.³ Such as losing a patient, parent, or dog. Other crises may involve divorce or breakup.³ Resilience is a goal, but it’s not always the solution, especially if someone is depressed.Self-care as a solution can be part of an evidence-based plan³.

Oncology nurses work in environments that can exacerbate underlying mental health problems. Getting through the shift may feel like a primary goal, but self-care and resilience are just as important to RNs.

References

1. Ibrahim S. After a high-profile car accident, Nicole Linton’s family is searching for the tragic truth. essence. November 26, 2022. Accessed December 20, 2022. https://bit.ly/3WzltAs
2. Linton M, Koonmen J. Self-care as an ethical imperative of nurses. nurse ethicsPublished online July 28, 2020. doi:10.1177/0969733020940371
3. Butler RM. Serious mental illness in medicine and academia: A lived experience. J Psychiatry Mental Health Nurse2022;29(5):624-629.doi:10.1111/jpm.12862