How do you cope with the mental health effects of being a nurse?

I first met the founder of The Nurse Break, as a fellow housemate in my local town of Elwood. It must be a nurse thing because he definitely brought excitement with him!

Jackson didn’t know it at the time but I had personally come off the backend of some of the lowest points in my life, before entering what would become my first share house experience.

During those months of sharing, it was incredible to hear the different stories he would come home with after every shift. Some tales made my jaw drop and Jackson would brush them off as if it was just another day at the office.

For those not in that world, two particular recounts that have stuck in my mind are:

• I now know what a CODE-BLACK means, as it is used when a nurse feels like their life is in danger. Jackson had to use this when a patient was trying to strangle him as he was holding two screen doors together in the emergency ward.

• There was another instance (possibly that same shift!) where a woman was having a psychotic episode and jumping on her hospital bed and pretending to be Jesus Christ.

What really interested me about Jackson’s whole situation was that even though he was still inundated with issues like this at work, he was still an incredibly resilient and bubbly housemate who would find every spare second to work on his venture or hang out with friends.

Within the video “How do you cope with the mental health effects of being a nurse?” , it showcases how some of our bravest workers are taking care of their mental health.

What I was able to take away from the video is: that self-care is extremely important, finding healthy distractions is equally as integral and connecting with friends is extremely refreshing.

I think it would be wise for everyone that may be struggling at the moment to get some insight from those on the frontline, who arguably have the most difficult working lives in 2020/21.

So thank you Jackson and all our other healthcare workers for going above and beyond every shift. It was inspiring for me during my dark times to see these amazing people power through life and I think it can ultimately help a lot of you as well.