Question

Explain at least three useful coping strategies for nurse leaders.

Explain why it is important for nurse leaders to care for self in order to be role models and demonstrate the five pillars of caring for others.

Describe three effective strategies that nursing leaders can use to foster and promote healthy behaviors and achieve balance and a healthy lifestyle.

Answer 1

Stress destroys the health mentally and physically. Stress is unavoidable in a nurses career. Some of the strategies to overcome stressors are a nurse leader should have situational control of conditions,should be seeking help if necessary, always keep preventive monitoring of situation, practice self-controlling techniques , try spiritual coping.

Situational control of conditions:

A nurse leader must be competent in handling any situation . She should take necessary action to control any acute condition of patients. A nurse leader must plan accordingly to control professional errors by other nurses . She should inform the physician and other members of the treatment team about the necessary quality care which is to be given to patient. She should train her junior nurses to perform physician orders in a flawless manner. She should be transparent , understanding and sympathizing with the other healthcare workers under her and also patients. She can leave work late to ensure and have control of working conditions, time management, changing shift. She should be always available for others to be contacted on her duty.

Seek help:

A nurse leader should plan prior if she needs to take leave . She can request her co worker to take care of her work when she is unavailable. When she is mentally depressed she can take counselling.Whenever she has some problems or doubts in her work she should not feel ashamed , instead she can seek help of her supervisor or co workers. Try to share the job stress with someone like friends or partners to keep you relaxed. Practice yoga or meditation to keep mind calm and healthy.

Spiritual coping:

Spirituality helps to relieve the tension and calm mind . Sometimes you can read Bible versus to keep you relaxed . Rather than shouting at sometime out of stress, reading some books can keep the nurse leaders calm . Calm mind can always has more solutions for any problems.

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It is very important for nurse leaders to take care of themselves , so they may be role models for their fellow nurses .

1. Being a nurse leader be competent and learn to refuse whenever you are provided added responsibilities . These added responsibilities may drown you in stress.When you are stressed you may get angry with your co staffs and even patients.
2. Strictly avoid stress-producing people. Whenever you come across people who induce more negative feelings , try to avoid them.
3. Avoid discussing controversial topics with any colleagues . Discussing religious beliefs and politics may cause upset or angry , donot take such topics in a conversation.
4. Simply the "to-do" list. Take control over both work and personal schedules and prioritize the "should do" from the "must do" activities.

These things try to make you relaxed and calm. When you practice these , you may have lot of time to work calm and provide a quality care . Self caring is necessary for personal and professional growth. Practicing self care will be helpful in combating work stress and promote health .Nurses always take care of others. But they will lose their health as they donot care for themselves. So when one starts to take care of themselves they will have long lasting positive effects on them and others.

• Caring
• Communication
• Critical Thinking
• Professionalism
• Holism

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Effective strategies that nursing leaders can use to foster and promote healthy behaviours to achieve balance and healthy life style are

• Always be willing to compromise
• Learn to forgive
• Connect with others
• Exercise regular with balanced diet
• Spend time with family