In this new year, nurses — and the challenges they have faced over the last several years — remain top of mind throughout the industry, including among our internal team and external talent here at Prolink.
As we continue to navigate these struggles, we hope to offer ways to help support our nurses today and find hope in better days ahead.
Meet Claire, Emergency Department Nurse
“I always say, ‘I didn’t choose the career, but the career chose me,’” said Registered Nurse Claire Zaleski. “I think most people want a career where they can make a difference and have an impact on the world. At a fairly young age, I knew that nursing would be my opportunity; it checked so many of my boxes.”
While pursuing her degree, Claire took advantage of job shadowing and took an honest look at what she wanted from her career. Notably, she wanted to have that personal interaction and one-on-care with her patients. That journey led her to Emergency Medicine.
Today, Claire is a travel nurse with Prolink and has been working as an Emergency Department nurse for 3 years.
The State of Nursing
Undoubtedly, the Covid-19 pandemic has changed nursing and the healthcare field overall.
“The world has changed because of Covid and, as a society, our priorities seem to be very different. For me, mental health has been spoken about so much more; being in tune with your mental health as well as your physical health is important,” Claire said.
While some aspects of healthcare have returned to the way they were pre-Covid, there are other aspects that healthcare professionals strongly feel need to adjust for our new normal.
Reflect and Recharge
Claire believes nursing is her chance to be a source of comfort and light for people who are facing some of their darkest days.
“Remember why you started this journey and reflect on it often, because it can be exhausting,” she said. “But try to put yourself in your patient’s shoes. People matter; they are important; and they deserve to be shown care and compassion. That’s what we can control.”
After particularly tough shifts, she relies on holistic care to stay grounded — taking care of her own mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health.
“In our profession, you have to be able to focus on yourself and your feelings in order to get back to your normal, healthy self — and that looks different for everyone,” Claire said. “For me, I like to go to the gym and work out; other days, I need prayer and scripture to see me through. We have to remember that self-care is not selfish!”
Trust Your Team
Another way to manage is to remember you are not alone — lean on your colleagues and be a source of support for them as well.
“Having a sense of teamwork is so important because healthcare is always changing,” she said. “Knowing there are people who you can trust, collaborate with, and look to for support helps with our morale and how we care for patients.”
Looking Ahead with Hope, Purpose
Nurses can have a real impact on people’s lives — both in helping patients who are sick and in empowering patients to take care of their health to prevent illnesses.
The 2022 State of Nursing Survey spoke to the strength, perseverance, and passion that nurses have for their work. According to the report, 70% of nurses still think that nursing is a great career and 64% still think that new nurses should join the profession.
Similarly, the majority of nursing professionals surveyed in the first half of 2022 find patient care to be personally rewarding despite the stress. Two-thirds of respondents cited helping others as a top reason they would stay in the field while an overwhelming 92% of the poll’s nursing students cite the reward of patient care as a motivator.
“I chose nursing as a career because people are important. I recognize that there is work to do and progress that can be made within the healthcare industry, in general; I choose to stay because I believe I can play a part in those improvements,” Claire said.
“I don’t think we’ve arrived yet, if you will, but I think we are taking the right steps to move healthcare forward. It’s just going to take some time,” she added.
Prolink partners with our talent to ensure each opportunity is the right fit for your needs. As part of our benefits package, we offer an Employee Assistance Program for our external talent to access health and counseling services; assistance with financial or legal concerns; and more. Review your benefits plan or contact your Prolink recruiter for details.
If you haven’t worked with us yet, fill out our online form to create an account with Prolink. Once we review your resume, one of our recruiters will reach out to discuss next steps.
