Don’t wait for trauma to cope with trauma! Presented by Sam Eddy

Innovation can mean flipping your approach What we normally do is wait until trauma occurs or we experience stress symptoms to try and cope. Todays talk is about flipping this on it’s head.

Nursing by nature is if full of fear and stress People only come to see you if they have a problem!

Self-care in nursing “Self-care is imperative to personal health, sustenance to continue to care for others, and professional growth.” http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Vol-19-2014/No3-Sept- 2014/Practicing-Self-Care-for-Nurses.html Self-care plans across 4 domains: Physical Emotional / cognitive Relational, and Spiritual https://www.caresearch.com.au/caresearch/tabid/2180/Default.aspx

3 innovative steps to coping with trauma

Missing key ingredient?

1 Unmasking the enemy FEAR

Physical symptoms of stress & anxiety – we need to feel and know these to manage them Heart racing Palpitations Sweating Needing to go to toilet Muscle tension/spasm Blurred vision Tension headaches Lump in the throat Shortness of breath Sounds getting louder Unreality Numbness

Stages of fear Stressful thought or situation arises in the mind This triggers the stress response & unpleasant physical symptoms 1st fear Unannounced thoughts, combined with unpleasant symptoms trick us into rumination, worry and panic 2nd fear

Trauma, Crisis and Nursing Many medical facilities still neglect the fact that crisis communication starts before the actual crisis takes place. https://www.medica-tradefair.com/cgi- bin/md_medica/lib/pub/tt.cgi/Hospital_crisis_communication_A_crisis_knows_no_rules.html?oid=50822&lang=2&ticket=g_u_e_ s_t A crisis is not the time to check in reference books on what to do. You therefore need to be able to act or respond deliberately. https://www.medica-tradefair.com/cgi- bin/md_medica/lib/pub/tt.cgi/Crisis_Management_Keeping_the_big_picture_in_mind.html?oid=50818&lang=2&ticket=g_u_e_s_t Much of the research is around crisis management and media training….it focuses on practicalities of trauma and crisis response.

Trauma, Crisis and Nursing “Little attention has been directed to the persistence of certain long- standing hidden symptoms of trauma in some nurses.” http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0020748985900331 “The empathy and the desire to alleviate the pain and suffering of patients can dramatically enhance the connection between patient and nurse. Unfortunately, this connection can have a serious psychological impact on the nurse with long-term consequences if left untreated.” Individual strategies to avoid stress and trauma can include: improved self- awareness, better management of work/life balance, better personal and social connections, the motivation to learn and grow professionally and emotionally, and use of reflective practices such as mindfulness and yoga. https://www.ausmed.com/articles/stress-trauma-nurses/

Do we teach self-care to student Nurses? ‘No specific unit on self-care at University’

2 The anchor - getting out of your own head First of its kind national support service – for nurses by nurses! Fosters a culture of openness and transparency Embraces innovation and change, leading to better health outcomes for staff and clients Encourage nurses and midwives to seek help sooner – before there is a ‘problem’ Promote professional and safe nursing and midwifery practice through: providing highly accessible professional, confidential, compassionate and individualised support addressing health issues from a nursing and midwifery perspective providing support to employers, managers, students, educators and concerned others 2

What are you worried about? Learning to not sweat the ‘small stuff’. My kids performance at school? Bills to pay? Tension at work? Unwell parents? Relationship problems? Getting frustrated driving in traffic? Easily annoyed at people pushing in front of you? What does my boss really think of me? Financial security? State of politics? What if?

It’s hard not being real (or always ‘on’) Home Work Social

Creating space between yourself & stressful events SAG, FLOAT through fear (5 min sagging practice) Not fighting Not running Acceptance

Marathon Week 5, Sunday: 10 miles (medium everyday stress) MARATHON (TRAUMA)

Non resistance method Change Channel Don’t fight Sag Shift Allow Allow your experience and skills to take over Shift Shift into moment by moment awareness Sag Sag into the tension and gain clarity of thought Don’t fight Don’t fight it – use your understanding Channel Channel the adrenaline Change Change your default response Non resistance method

True confidence Blame culture? Was it something I did? Taking things personally? Being hard on yourself? Getting comfortable with life (and death)? Stepping out of judgement

Benefits Eliminate Use Channel Familiar Eliminate panic Use heightened awareness to your advantage Use Channel ‘fight or flight’ & avoid panic, rushing, tension and mental blanks Channel It is harder to fear what we know and understand Familiar Benefits

Comments & Questions?