OHA health improvement team provides resources for self-care and supporting others during COVID-19

Posted on: 2/27/20


Health care workers possess a unique ability to withstand, recover, and grow during stressful times, which is the very essence of resiliency. Times like these provide a tremendous opportunity to strengthen relationships among all health care roles to unite around a shared purpose. That sense of shared purpose is especially highlighted now between health care workers and the people supporting them.

The OHA WorkHealthy Hospitals (WHH) team, a grant program of TSET, created a list of support and self-care resources to help navigate reactions associated with this pandemic. The resources below apply to hospital leadership, direct patient care staff, supporting roles, and employees who are at home in social isolation.

Supporting Others

Considering your employees and colleagues: Whether you are the leader, administrative employee of the hospital, providing direct patient care, or staying isolated at home, you are being affected by COVID-19. Here are some things for a leader (formal or informal) to consider:
  • Isolation: There are challenges with remote work, such as loneliness or disengagement. Check in with your remote employees through appropriate communication channels (e-mail is better than nothing). Provide them with some of the resources from above to practice self-care while they’re away and to keep them engaged.
  • Flexibility: This is an unprecedented time. Leaders must work to accept that we must operate with flexibility in employee circumstances during this uncertainty about the future.
  • Concerns: In the interest of staying connected to employees, try to identify their biggest concerns (i.e. childcare, financial stability, exposure, etc.) so that you know how to best support them.
  • Support: Your employees understand that this is an extraordinary time in health care. They also want to know that their leader hears their concerns and cares for their safety and wellbeing.
  • Innovation: Stay informed to identify innovative protocols to best serve your patients and best support your employees. The OHA staff is hard at work trying to keep you informed and provide helpful resources. Read the latest updates from the OHA on COVID-19.
Self-Care

Recognizing stress (and doing something about it): It is vital to identify the signs of stress in yourself and your loved ones when facing something like COVID-19. Download this free fact sheet from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for information on what to look for, and get advice on how to relieve stress, or know when to get help. This fact sheet provides examples of the following:
  • Identifying signs of stress by recognizing specific changes in your behavior, your body, your emotions, and/or your thinking.
  • Practicing healthy coping skills, including keeping things in perspective, getting the facts, keeping yourself healthy, and paying attention to your body, feelings, and spirit.
  • Practical ways to relax when you are noticing yourself getting anxious or stressed.
Anxiety from information overload: The fear of COVID-19 is being compounded through multiple points of media (news and social). To read about information on what you can do to manage your anxiety, including staying informed from credible sources, setting up your emotional support system, and taking control of your personal situation, click here (pages 2-3).
  • Being isolated: The above resource (pages 3-5), also provides a number of helpful tips and resources specific to employees who are quarantined or working from home.
  • Protecting your mental health: You are not helpless, even in uncertainty. For some practical advice on protecting your mental health, click here. It includes information for focusing on what you can control, doing what makes you feel safe, getting active, staying present, and maintaining connection.
  • Practicing micro-moments: To read five easy micro-moments to practice for self-care, click here.
If you would like more resources for supporting your employees or practicing self-care, please reach out to the WHH team at [email protected]. (Sydney Tomlinson)