Episode 60 – Supporting Nurses Through the Trauma of COVID-19 – Diane Solomon

Diane Solomon, PhD, PMHNP-BC is a practicing psychiatric nurse practitioner who specializes in treating nurses and other healthcare professionals, as well as an advocate for improved mental health in healthcare environments. Dr. Solomon sits on the Executive Committee of the Oregon Wellness Program, a group of leaders focused on provider wellness.

In this episode, Dr. Solomon and I discuss the impact of poor practice design on the mental health and well-being of nurses. We delve into the specific trauma of the pandemic, and the need for system-level support and changes to overcome the “tyranny of individual responsibility” that is too often attached to mental well-being. We look at the need to include nurses in system decision processes and for leaders to listen with an open mind to nurses’ demands for system change – including the need to mark loss and make space for grieving. Finally, Dr. Solomon paints a future vision in which nurses are treated as full partners in a system that prioritizes prevention and well-being for patients and team members alike.

Links related to podcast:

• American Journal of Nursing blog, Practicing the ABCDEs of Self-Care in Pandemic Times
• MedPage, The LMNOPs of Caring for the Nursing Workforce