There is Mental Health Support for Nurses

Eleanor Bennett

So, hospitals are understaffed as it relates to nurses, which results in nurses being overworked. And because of this, many nurses may experience fatigue and other stresses that come from working long hours in an already high-intensity environment. So, how does the ministry support nurses’ mental health?

Eleanor Bennett, Registrar, Nursing and Midwives Council

“The Ministry of Health has a programme, a mental health programme and in that programme comprised of a variety of professionals, we have psychiatric nurse practitioners; we have psychiatrists; we have counselors; social workers; and all of these professionals are available to nurses. When I was working with the mental health unit, I know for a fact that nursing supervisors routinely refer nurses for counseling when they are having issues or when they recognize certain issues on the job. So, yes, the Ministry f Health does provide support for nurses. Sometimes we have to convince people to take advantage of the help that is available for them.”