Resources for Health Care Workers
Health care personnel and first responders are providing care during unprecedented times. We are at a point in the Mid-South when our resources are stretched very thin. Conditions will continue to worsen due to a lack of ER, hospital and ICU beds, and shortages of caregivers.
Stress, anxiety, depression, substance abuse, burnout, damaged relationships, and post-traumatic stress disorder or secondary traumatic stress, are new and overwhelming experiences for many clinicians. Increased workplace hardships and exposure to traumatic events can result in negative psychological impact and significant moral dilemmas.
The resources on this page are for you – whether you are a clinician, first responder, student, or volunteer working to lighten the load of our frontline caregivers.
Resources
Mental Health and Emotional Support:
- Emotional Support Line for Pandemic Stress Call 888.642.7886 from 6:00 am - 10:00 pm CDT
- Ask for Help: The When, Where, and How for Mental Health Needs
- American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s HOTLINE: 800.273.TALK. See also www.afsp.org/covid-19. Or, Text "frontline" to 741741 to connect with a Crisis Counselor for 24/7 free support.
Grassroots Assistance Efforts:
- Emotional PPE Project.Directory of resources; Facebook
- Pandemic Crisis Services Response Coalition:
- 911 At Ease International
- Therapy Aid Coalition
- Frontline Therapy Network
Helpful 24/7 Hotlines:
- Tennessee Crisis Line: 855.274.7471
- Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800.273.8255
- Crisis Text Line: Text FRONTLINE to 741741
- SAMHSA Disaster Distress Hotline: 800.985.5990
- SAMHSA National Hotline: 800.662.HELP (4357)
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800.799.7233
Additional Helplines:
- National Parent Helpline: 855.427.2736Monday - Friday, 1:00 - 10:00 pm
- National Alliance on Mental Illness: 800.950.6264 Monday - Friday, 10:00 am - 8:00 pm ET. In a crisis, text "nami" to 741741 for 24/7 confidential, free crisis counseling. Text "scrubs" to 741741 for immediate assistance.
Mindfulness and Meditation:
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- Insight Timer (free) and Headspace (1 week free, then subscription). Guided meditations or watch this 6-minute video to chart your own path.
- 10 Percent Happier. Free extended access to mindfulness and meditation courses: https://10percenthappier.app.link/courtesy-pack
- American Nurses Association (ANA) videos and webinars on the mental health challenges brought on by COVID-19.
- ANA also offers webcasts among its broader COVID-related offerings ANA’s COVID-19 Self-Care Package for Nurses is free and available for up to 5.9 CE hours.
- Resilience and Emotional Well-Being
- Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare
- Resilience In Uncertain Times
- American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) and Support the Front Well-being for CRNAs and SRNAs
- AANA Wellness and Substance Use Disorder Educational Resources.
- CRNA/SRNA Well-being playlist:
Aly McLean, CRNA:
Pennie Nichols, CRNA:
- Massachusetts General Hospital: General Mental Health and Coping
- American Medical Association Public Health: Managing Mental Health during COVID 19
- Centers for Disease Control: Healthcare Personnel and First Responders: How to Cope with Stress and Build Resilience During the COVID-19 Pandemic
- National Academy of Medicine: Resources to Support the Health and Well-being of Clinicians During the COVID 19 Outbreak
- Minnesota Dept. of Health: Mental Health and Resiliency Tools for Healthcare Teams: COVID 19
- Mental Health America: Mental Health and COVID 19 Information and Resources
- Resilience and Prevention Program
- How can we build and maintain the resilience of our health care professionals during COVID-19? Recommendations based on a scoping review.
- From Resilience to Burnout in Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Emergency: The Role of the Ability to Tolerate Uncertainty
- Strategies for Resiliency of Medical Staff During COVID-19 Mayo Clinic
Buddy Programs:
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- Battle Buddies
- Peer support program American Medical Association
- Buddy Check The American Legion
- Welcome and Overview: Dr. Wendy Likes, Dean of the UTHSC College of Nursing
- Guiding Ethical Principles: Dr. Ben Mitchell, Distinguished Fellow, Tennessee Center for Bioethics and Culture
- Explanation and Allocation Plan: Dr. Glynis Blackard, Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, UTHSC College of Nursing
- The Grief Process and Self-Care: Dr. Susan Jacob, Associate Executive Dean of Academic Affairs, UTHSC College of Nursing
- Full College of Nursing Resource Video (4 topics)
Do you know of a helpful resource not listed here? Fill out this brief form to tell us about it. Thank you.