
Review the American Counseling Association (ACA) Trauma and Disaster Mental Health resource guide.
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Find professional resources for your mental health. Start with this resource from the Joint Commission. It may help to seek the support of others and not go it alone. Caring for COVID-19 patients and keeping patient and med-surg nursing safety can be traumatizing, especially over a long period. If your facility has no CIR program, see C.2. Supporting learning and practice improvement helps nurses in difficult situations and advances patient safety. Understanding critical incidents is vital. COVID-19 care can be traumatic for med-surg nurses. If appropriate, engage your facility’s Critical Incident Report (CIR) program. You and your employer have been paying for them – put them to use. Find and use mental health, wellness and therapy resources your employer provides, such as your Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and health care benefits. If the availability of staffing is an issue, AMSN offers a COVID-19 Staffing Toolkit that can help. Outside the U.S., seek an official workplace compliance resource with your government. Whistleblower Protection Act, you can file a complaint using this link scroll to the bottom. If you believe your employer retaliated against you for exercising your rights as an employee under the U.S. In the EU, information is available at this link. In Canada, you can file a complaint using this link. In the U.S., you can find the OSHA office in your state at this link and file a complaint using this link. Again, bring evidence, standards and solutions. If you feel it is necessary to go outside your organization, file a report with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in the U.S., or with the appropriate agency in your country. Be aware HR works for the facility and its management.

Use the same approach as you brought to your supervisor: evidence, standards, solutions. Bring it to your facility’s human resources (HR) function. In a collectively bargained or unionized work environment, bring your evidence, standards and solutions to your shop steward. Bring specific evidence, your own facility’s standards, and the current COVID-19 guidance for health care professionals from the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC).

A supervisor might understand the situation from a high level – and need your front-line perspective. A private, one-on-one discussion can solve many problems. Promote COVID-19 safety in your workplace Our checklist is separated into three areas, each with initiatives you can review and take in order: A. Here’s a med-surg nurse’s checklist to help you take positive action for patient safety – and for yours. The vast majority of med-surg nursing workplaces have put patient and nurse safety first to prevent the spread of COVID-19.īut when coronavirus is on the rise and the pressure is on, med-surg nurses can face hard choices. Nurse Safety from Effects of COVID-19 in the Practice Environment
