Making a difference: psychosocial support for nursing staff

Nursing staff contribute enormously to our society every day. They care for us when we are at our most vulnerable and are in need of help. Unfortunately, nurses are also confronted with many traumatic experiences. This is particularly stressful during training or when starting out in the profession, but even experienced nurses can reach their personal limits.

It is important that employers offer support so that these traumatic experiences do not become entrenched and turn into a personal burden. As an employer, you should therefore be sure to address the issue of psychosocial support. In this article, you will learn how to recognise whether your employees or colleagues are under extreme psychological stress, what you can do about it and why psychosocial support is so important.

Psychosocial support is designed to help nurses and doctors cope with exceptionally stressful situations at work. This could be a death, an experience of violence, a patient's serious diagnosis, and much more. All of these situations can push nurses and doctors to their personal limits. With psychosocial support (PSS), those affected learn how to deal with the current stressful situation, how they can perhaps better protect themselves in the future, and how they can remain able to keep on working. Sometimes, however, it simply helps to have someone who understands these situations and is there to listen.

Not everyone is able to admit to themselves that they need help. This is why it is important to recognise the early signs in colleagues and employees.

Symptoms of mental stress include difficulty concentrating, irritability, anxiety, nervousness, mood swings, outbursts of anger, frequent illness, tiredness and exhaustion. Of course, these symptoms can also have other reasons. If you notice such symptoms in an employee or colleague and perhaps even know that the person has recently experienced something traumatic, address them. Be sensitive, listen and be open. Work together on finding solutions.

Maintain open communication. Employees should be able to approach you openly with problems and challenges. However, this is only possible if you make them feel secure. Open communication lays the foundation for preventing stress from manifesting in the first place.

You can also encourage regular exchanges within the team. Offer weekly rounds of dialogue – be it inside or outside the work environment. This exchange between colleagues helps them feel understood, as they all face similar challenges. Perhaps other team members can already pass on important tips on how to deal with stressful situations.

Train employees to become so-called “peers”. They are the first point of contact in your institution for colleagues in stressful situations. But why train your own employees to become peers? Some people find it easier to open up to people they already know, in this case their colleagues. This contact on an equal basis can lower the barrier to communication. However, others prefer to seek help anonymously. In such cases, the PSU helpline can provide assistance. Here, nursing staff can receive free and anonymous help. Make sure to raise awareness of this service.

Psychosocial support for nursing staff and doctors is essential to enable them to do their jobs in a way that takes care of their mental health.

It also makes you more attractive as an employer in the battle for highly sought-after skilled workers. It shows that you care about your employees and their well-being. That can make all the difference!