How to Prioritize Your Health with Operation Happy Nurse

Focusing on mental health and wellness has become more vital than ever with the toll the pandemic has taken on everyone working in healthcare – especially nurses. Supplemental Health Care is proud to partner with Operation Happy Nurse to support nurses’ wellbeing this year.

The pandemic, staffing shortages, and other factors have exacerbated the more common stressors of working as a nurse. Clearly, finding ways to decompress, focus on wellbeing, and build community will help nurses everywhere better manage their work-related stress, anxiety, and depression.

How to Improve Your Health with Operation Happy Nurse

Operation Happy Nurse provides free resources to help nurses combat the debilitating impacts of the pandemic, burnout, and job-related stress. The organization also connects nurses to a wonderful online community where members can support one another within the nursing profession.

Nurses can access tools, tips, and information to help them improve their mental health and wellness overall. Access to the Operation Happy Nurse community is available to all nurses, regardless of location, specialty, or tenure.

Mental Health and Wellbeing Support

Fitness and Exercise

  • Focusing on your physical health allows you to keep up with the demands of being a nurse and provides you with a layer of defense against the pressures of your work. In addition to the obvious benefits to your body and performance, moving your body more can help support your body’s defense system that regulates your response to stressors. Operation Happy Nurse has a whole team of fitness and yoga instructors to help your physical and mental health.

Nutrition Support

  • Properly fueling your body is another way to ensure that you are better able to handle the rigors of your job as a nurse. Proper nutrition can help you manage the negative impacts of stress and anxiety. Nutrition support from Operation Happy Nurse includes recipes and other resources from their own registered dietitians and culinary advisors.

Meditation

  • Taking care of your mind is just as vital to your overall wellbeing as adopting an exercise and nutrition program. A very powerful tool that can help you reduce stress and anxiety is meditation. Although, as a nurse, it can sometimes be hard to find the time to sit down and take time to center yourself, there are many forms of meditative practices. Whether you only have a few moments to take a break or want something more active like yoga, Operation Happy Nurse has options for meditation and yoga.

Stress Management

  • If you are the type of person that likes to listen to something while you are walking or driving, Operation Happy Nurse has a stress management podcast for nurses with founder, Shannon McPeek, BSN, RN and Carley Baker BSN, RN. Past topics have covered topics from acupuncture, art, rage rooms, and even horticultural and garden therapy.
  • If you’re more into reading than listening, there’s also a Theraspace blog run by a licensed clinical social worker to cover mental health topics that are relevant to nursing professionals. Blog topics include dealing with anxiety, depression, compassion fatigue, grief, PTSD, and self-care.

Community Building

  • There is always strength in numbers, and surrounding yourself with other nurses experiencing the same challenges as you can really make a difference. Participating in group activities allows you to share your thoughts and ideas with other nurses and find comfort.
  • Operation Happy Nurse gives you immediate access to their nursing community, along with the OHN Book Club, discussion board, and even social events. They also publish a Nurse Insights blog with stories and lessons from nursing professionals that can help you personally and in your career.

Crisis Resources

  • For those that find themselves in a space beyond the tools and techniques that we are outlining here, please know that you are not alone. If you are in crisis, please utilize Operation Happy Nurse’s list of organizations and resources that can provide help and support immediately.

Happy Nurse Program

  • Operation Happy Nurse is also launching a 5-month long program for nurses to work with a licensed clinical social worker individually to meet monthly goals. With 20 nurses in their first cohort, participants will create a plan and goals and support each other through the process.
  • There’s even a Bose speaker for the person that progresses the most with their goals! If you’re interested in the Happy Nurse Program, you can sign up online.

Supporting Our Nurses

Supplemental Health Care is proud of all of our nurses for the essential care they provide to individuals in need in hospitals, medical facilities, homes, schools, and beyond. Through our philanthropic relationships, we strive to support our healthcare workers and communities better.

In partnership with Operation Happy Nurse, SHC has launched a quarterly email newsletter to our active healthcare professionals. The “Self-Care Six” is full of great information about the best ways to care for your own health and wellness.

Supporting our nurses’ mental health is at the center of our Culture of Caring philosophy. If you are looking for an opportunity to work for an organization that cares about you as much as you do for others, contact us today or search our nursing opportunities.