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- Title
REVITALIZING YOURSELF: MAKING TIME 4U.
- Authors
Politsky, Susan
- Abstract
Oncology nurses, particularly those who work in critical care settings are at risk for developing moral distress which can be from medical futility and bad deaths, burnout and compassion fatigue, which can lead to poor nurse satisfaction. Allowing staff the opportunity to verbalize and discuss their feelings of work related stress in a forum, validated their feelings and allowed them an opportunity to share similar experiences with one another. The purpose of this program was to provide the ICU staff an opportunity to relax their minds and participate in activities that included: song, yoga, mediation, affirmations and therapeutic massages. The model behind this theory was adapted from an oncology article which supported a retreat day to allow staff to decompensate due to stressful work encounters. My program was designed as a corroboration of staff issues regarding some ethical issues that recently occurred in the unit. This program offered them a safe place, among their colleagues to discuss their recent feelings and de-stress with some activities which promote healthy work environments. Participants who provided services included convenient employees who have been trained in their fields of expertise such as in yoga, meditation and therapeutic massage. Some of the activities included having staff complete a Compassion Fatigue Survey, utilization of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses: The 4 A's to Rise Above Moral Distress, Good Death versus Bad Deaths, Reviewing the ANA Code of Ethics, Reviewing Fox Chase Cancer Center policies on ethical dilemmas. All staff were treated a 45 minute therapeutic massage. This program is designed to be offered every other month until all of the ICU staff attend. Staff are required to be off from work the day before the program in preparation for this educational offering. Implications for nursing practice include employers to be aware of issues such as moral distress that can be affecting their staff and allow an interdisciplinary team to begin to manage these issue which affect the work environment. As an employer, being aware of the culture of the work environment is invaluable to produce high quality health care providers.
- Publication
Oncology Nursing Forum, 2007, Vol 34, Issue 2, p494
- ISSN
0190-535X
- Publication type
Academic Journal