The Beth Israel Medical Centre’s programme is unusual among health and wellness programmes in New York and New Jersey in that it was designed by nurses specifically for nurses. Nurse corporate wellness is the name of the game in this programme, with holistic clinical nurse specialists coming into nursing units dressed in various shades of purple, and bringing with them the calming fragrance of lavender oil and a promise to help tame stress on the unit.
Jeanne Kenney, RN, BSN, HN-BC, CCAP, is one of the three specialists implementing the centre’s Integrative Stress Management Programme, which has received three years’ funding from the Charles Evans Foundation. The nurses are trained to lead staff and managers in therapies such as guided imagery, breathing techniques, aromatherapy, restorative yoga and reiki. According to Kenney, ‘Nurses are in awe that a foundation would provide care for the nurses. They are so appreciative.’
Marie Sakowski, RN, a peribirth coordinator and assistant nurse manager at Beth Israel, was sceptical at first. ‘I didn’t really buy into the whole deep breathing and lavender. I really didn’t know what to make of it.’ However, Sakowski was a believer after the very first session. ‘It came at a really good time in my life,’ she explains. ‘My mother had passed away last May. It didn’t, obviously, cure all the grief, but it was another way for me to cope.’
Maureen O’Brien, RN, CNS, CTTS-M, a smoking cessation specialist at the centre, praised the nutrition, weight management and exercise programmes for helping her to get back in shape for her job, which requires walking all over the hospital. She commented, ‘All the nurses have wellness champions who run activities … such as “the biggest loser,”’ in which teams compete in weight loss. O’Brien explains, ‘Everyone really looks out for one another.’
According to Ronit Fallek, MPA, director of the programme, ‘The idea is that our nurses work so hard and give so much to others 24/7, so we develop programmes and offer experiences that are just for them. The idea behind all of them is to help nurses relax, replenish and encourage them to explore their own creativity.’ Sakowski adds, ‘You can’t be your best self if you are stressed out. You need to first focus on you and then you can provide the best optimal care for your patients.’
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