by Jessica Pham, ACN Media Officer
This year we have seen an increase in people taking charge of their health and wellbeing, openly speaking about issues that they had been suffering with in silence, in some cases, for years. ACN recognises that nurses, in particular, often do not practice adequate self-care strategies and suffer the consequences, which is why we have launched the NurseStrong campaign recently.
So, in fitting with this movement, at our annual National Nursing Forum in August, we had South Eastern Sydney District Local Health District (SESLHD) Nurse Manager Suzanne Murray and SESLHD Leadership Specialist Keith Jones share their ‘The Nursewell app – Wellbeing in the palm of your hands’ presentation.
Nursewell is a mobile application which promotes self-care and wellbeing as essential for all nurses and midwives. The app is designed to provide nurses and midwives an easily accessible resource which can support their health and wellbeing in their busy schedules.
Just before the Forum kicked off, we sat down with Suzanne to learn more about the inspiration behind the design and the four reasons why nurses should use it.
- It reminds you that you are worth taking care of.
“Self-care and wellbeing is essential for all nurses and midwives. How we care for ourselves affects how we are able to care and have compassion for others,” says Suzanne.
The University of Texas at Arlington suggests that the most important aspect of self-care are eating a nutritious diet, exercising regularly and practicing stress-reduction techniques.
- It will provide you with reliable information you need to become a healthier you.
The Nursewell app was developed by a dedicated team of nursing leaders at SESLHD.
Born from a collaboration between the Prince of Wales Nursing & Education Research Unit and the District Nursing and Midwifery Practice & Workforce Unit, the app is a pocket of knowledge from those in the profession.
Evidence-based research was also incorporated with the issues identified in the ‘Fit for the Future’ survey (co-authored by ACN’s very own President, Professor Christine Duffield FACN!), which helped to guide the content and topics that are currently presented in the app.
Suzanne shares that: “The inspiration behind it was that we [recognised] the need for a practical, modern and efficient resource to support self-care and promote the wellbeing of nurses and midwives.”
- It focuses on the mind as well as the body.
The activities that are included on the app are targeted to address the health concerns and the wellbeing of nurses and midwives. Some of these activities include: better sleep, back health, mindfulness, wellbeing, better thinking and mindful eating.
Being nurses themselves and aware of how time-poor those in the profession are, the app designers also inlcuded a number of short meditations, reframing thinking and Pilates exercises – all of which can be practiced daily before, during, or after work, either by yourself or with your team.
- It can earn you Continuing Professional Development points.
Suzanne tells us that “at the end of each section to reflect on learning and collect this information as part of AHPRA’s annual requirements for Continuing Professional Development for nurses and midwives nationally.”
For those who haven’t checked it out yet – Nursewell is a free application which is available for download from the App store & Google Play.
Let us know if you have tried the app out for yourself, or if you have any other self-care techniques that you currently use and how you’ve incorporated it into your lifestyle! It would be the perfect complement to the NurseStrong program if you are participating, so let us know how you have combined the two!
