Kerry Appleton, BSN, RN, a resiliency coach at North Memorial Health in Robbinsdale, Minn., left her traditional role in nursing after 16 years. She pointed to stress, burnout and trauma associated with patient deaths as key factors in her departure. But what drove her away also brought her back to the profession, the StarTribune reported May 14.
North Memorial Health created its inaugural resiliency coach position during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the outlet. Ms. Appleton took the role, realizing how she could be relatable to other nurses as a former front-line care provider herself. Her support in this capacity has proven to aid in nurse resilience even beyond the pandemic, the outlet reported.
To support the wellbeing of its nursing staff, North Memorial Health actually pays individuals for spending time with Ms. Appleton as a resiliency coach — even if it is done outside of their working hours as an incentive.
To aid with stress management, Ms. Appleton will often meet nurses away from the hospital setting, the site of their stressors, to make it easier to process and focus on resiliency tactics.
Nurses, Ms. Appleton told the StarTribune, tend to have a difficult time taking care of themselves after caring for others. So, she asks them to focus on the physiology of stress by introducing them to basic stress management tactics like breathing exercises, drinking more water to calm adrenaline and prioritizing sleep.