Helping nurses use their creativity to be well

There is now growing empirical research showing how the syndrome of burnout and the psychological conflicts arising from moral distress are increasingly impacting on nurses and those who work with them in clinical medical teams. Using my experience over five years at a ‘stress clinic’ for healthcare professionals, author will talk about how stress management alongside creativity coaching may help nurses in burnout or moral distress. He posit a transformational mediation model for understanding stress and empowerment. This allows empowerment for further learning and self-development. This presentation covers how creativity may be conceptualised for wellness, barriers that may be in place for nurses, and what sort of activities and strategies may facilitate creativity. These include aspects of self-expression through ‘flow’ using sociable hobbies, and everyday activities. He explains why sleep and key stress management techniques can be seen to be vital for creativity. He lastly talks about therapeutic strategies that may encourage creativity tools in response to stress and trauma. A stress and creativity toolkit is suggested as a take away.

Author(s): Jo Bowen

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