Courageous Well-Being for Nurses

The pandemic was not the sole cause of the healthcare catastrophe sweeping the globe in 2019. It did, however, serve as a lens to see the problems that had been there all along. Nurses expressed anger, frustration and fear in a growing chorus of voices. With their own health at risk, they found ways to heal themselves and each other. Co-authors Donna Gaffney and Nicole Foster invited nurses from across the globe to tell their powerful stories. Drawing from an international body of research and scholarship in psychology, mindfulness, nursing, medicine, the arts and social sciences, Courageous Well-Being for Nurses, Strategies for Renewal builds each chapter around the nurses’ narratives. The result is a unique perspective on individual and collective well-being that extends far beyond more traditional approaches of self-care. 

Evidence-based studies comprise the foundation of this book and include Carol Ryff’s model of psychological well-being, the work of Jon Kabat-Zinn, Dzung Vo, Cynda Rushton, Christina Maslach, Klimecki & Singer, Bessel van der Kolk, James Pennebaker, Louise DeSalvo, and many more. Explored are strategies and practices focusing on self-compassion and mindfulness; the latest findings in eating, sleeping and exercising well; science-based practices for alleviating stress through nature; the benefits of professional support; and the profound healing effects of advocacy and activism on health and well-being. The arts and creativity are celebrated as indispensable wellsprings of respite and joy, with poems, photographs, song lyrics, and illustrations of personal and professional challenges as well as celebrations of growth. A shared responsibility of confronting the tumultuous healthcare environment is emphasized—especially the burnout, vicarious trauma, grief, and moral distress left in its wake.

The essence of courage is the ability to pursue goals or a purpose, despite risk or fear. Courageous Well-Being for Nurses, Strategies for Renewal leads the reader on the ultimate journey to well-being – one that is essential, inclusive, deep-rooted, individual, and above all, courageous. Nurses, students and educators will embrace this book, as will all professionals in healthcare, and the families and friends who love and care for them.