Prioritizing Mental Health for Nurses

For nearly two decades, healthcare leaders have contended with the nursing workforce shortage. What was already shaky ground has been rocked further by the pandemic and has increasingly affected nurses’ mental health.

The emotional well-being and mental health of care teams can no longer take a backseat.

While most nurses are eager to discuss their profession, conversations surrounding depression and anxiety remain taboo — despite the prevalence of these mental health conditions within the field itself. If the stigma associated with mental health persists, many nurses, for fear of being viewed as weak or inferior, will continue to avoid seeking the support they need.

It falls on the shoulders of nursing leaders to support their staff and create spaces that encourage self-care over silent suffering.