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hope.
are you ok?

september is suicide prevention month

nurses.

are you okay?

Findings indicate that suicide rates among nurses exceed those of people in the general population. Female nurses are at twice the risk for suicide compared with women in the general population.

JAMA Psychiatry. 2021;78(6):597-598.

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we will send you a HOPE t-shirt for free with your $40 donation. Please consider donating for yourself and someone you love. All profits to benefit our mission.

We are bringing hope & empathy back to Healthcare.

Please ask your healthcare friends and colleagues “are you ok?” every day.

Support our mission by wearing a t-shirt with a powerful message of support, empathy, & hope for our healthcare workers. 

Nursing is the nation’s largest healthcare profession. Nurses play a crucial role in patient care, and their mental health is essential for the effective functioning of healthcare systems. Several key points can be addressed to tackle this pressing concern:

Research and Evidence-Based Interventions: Hope for Healthcare is creating robust research to pilot in both the clinical and academic setting. Our goal is to better understand the mental health challenges faced by all healthcare workers. Our research will explore real solutions to stress, burnout, moral distress, suicidal ideation, shame, substance-use, and other mental health issues among healthcare workers and develop evidence-based interventions to address these challenges effectively. Research has shown that nurses are particularly vulnerable to suicide. We are focusing on nurses during National Suicide Prevention Month.
A culture of Hope: Our initiatives and research are developed with a focus on the science of hope. Hope is the belief that things can improve and that we are empowered to take steps to make those things a reality for ourselves, in this case, both personally and professionally. Hope can be objectively measured, taught, and strengthened. The Hope Score correlates with improved outcomes across mental health, physical well-being, educational endeavors, and professional performance. Our programs aim to empower healthcare workers to believe in their dreams again both personally and professionally.

Scientific and Structural Changes: To address these challenges effectively, it's important to advocate for scientific and structural changes in healthcare systems. This might involve changes in processes, workflow, policies, regulations, and resource allocation to prioritize the mental health and well-being of healthcare workers. Hope for Healthcare is poised and ready to help organizations make assessments and implement these scientific and structural changes.

Restoring Joy in Healthcare: It's crucial to identify ways to restore joy in healthcare. Most of us chose a profession in healthcare because we truly wanted to help our patients heal. While the work of a healthcare worker is often extraordinarily heartbreaking and vicariously traumatizing, we must promote ways to inject moments of joy where possible. We must find ways to help healthcare workers return to their original purpose for choosing a career in healthcare. This can involve recognizing and appreciating the contributions of nurses, restoring work-life balance, and ensuring that healthcare workers have easy access to resources and support to cope with the demands of their profession.

Supporting a Healthy Healthcare Workforce: A healthy and supported healthcare workforce not only benefits the staff but also improves patient outcomes. Hope for Healthcare will support organizations in investing in programs that support their team’s mental and physical health. Our programs offer comprehensive training in stress management and resilience and creating a safe and supportive work environment.

Preventing Tragic Deaths by Suicide: Tragic deaths by suicide among nurses are an extremely distressing trend. Preventative measures must be put in place, such as offering mental health resources, easy access to hope-trained peer support professionals, promoting destigmatization of mental health diagnoses and seeking help, and conducting regular mental health check-ins.

Transforming Education
& Work Environments:

Hope for Healthcare will work closely with healthcare workers and organizations to help them take proactive steps to transform work environments. This transformation should focus on reducing stressors, providing mental health support, and fostering a culture of hope, well-being, and peer support.

Improving the mental health of healthcare workers is not only a moral imperative but is also crucial for maintaining a sustainable healthcare system. By addressing these challenges through research, policy changes, and support systems, it is possible to create a healthcare environment where all healthcare workers can thrive, ultimately benefiting both the professionals and the patients they serve.

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