Health systems share tactics used to support nurses treating COVID-19

Stress from treating patients with COVID-19 can take a deep toll on nurses, putting them at risk of moral distress, compassion fatigue and burnout. A group of nursing organizations is responding with the Well-Being Initiative, and individual hospitals have employed a range of tactics to support front-line nurses. These include dedicated spaces for relaxation, psychological support sessions for teams, weekly Zoom hangouts, and a buddy system pairing nurses with colleagues who can provide individual support. One Catholic institution is supporting staff by combining pastoral care with debriefings by the hospital’s psychiatric crisis department. (Nurse.com article, 9/8/20)