By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN
Nurses and their leaders struggle with burnout and exhaustion. A contributor is the inability to decompress after work effectively. Press Ganey, a leading provider of experience measurement, published a report that analyzed data from over 345,000 clinical RN voices to understand today’s nursing workforce better and recommend how organizations can help staff build resilience. While nurses, overall, show strong resilience (4.23 on a 5-point scale) and report a strong sense of purpose and finding meaning in their work – known as “activation” (4.56) — they struggle with the ability to disconnect – known as “decompression” (3.90). Baby Boomers and Gen Xers were more effective in doing this than Millennials and Gen Zers.
This inability to effectively decompress after work and relax contributes to the high rates of unplanned leave usage in healthcare today. It is also related to nurse leader turnover because the boundaries between one’s work and personal life have become so blurred that leaders feel they now work 24/7. New graduates leave work at the end of the day feeling moral distress about what they could not do for patients rather than what they accomplished. Helping nurses to learn to disconnect from work effectively is critical to well-being. Some recommended strategies include the following:
- A Going Home Checklist
The going-home checklist was started in the United Kingdom by the National Health Service. Recommended steps to end your day include the following:
- Take a moment to think about your day.
- Acknowledge one difficult thing and let it go.
- Consider three things that went well.
- Check on your colleagues before they leave and make sure they are okay.
- Check on yourself – are you okay?
- Switch your attention to home and the need to recharge.
- Establish a Post-Work Ritual
Post-work rituals help reduce work-related stress by allowing employees to transition out of work mode. Including rituals can improve work-life balance, contributing to overall well-being. Some suggested strategies include the following:
- Disconnect from your digital devices for a set time after work.
- Do mindful meditation to help you relax and clear your mind.
- Establish an exercise routine such as walking, running, or yoga.
- Write in a journal to reflect on your day.
- Listen to music.
- Adopt creative hobbies such as painting, cooking, or crafting.
- Conduct Mid-Shift Decompression Huddles
Press Ganey recommends that an effective strategy to build nursing resilience includes holding “mid-shift decompression huddles,” which enable nursing teams to prioritize remaining tasks that must be done before the end of a shift. In addition to reducing stress, these huddles are also an opportunity to recognize employees, which impacts staff well-being.
As you evaluate your well-being strategies in your unit or organization, nurses should receive education on strategies to help them decompress after the workday. Don’t assume they know how to do this because the evidence indicates they may not.
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