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NOW,

More Than Ever…

I n the years to come, people will look back at 2020 and say, ‘that was the year that changed

everything’. While we are all in the same pandemic storm, we are not all in the same boat. Our
experiences, our beliefs, and our values are not necessarily the same.
The past 16 months have been stressful and created fear across the world. The pressure our
worldwide healthcare systems, especially our nurses, have been under has taken a huge personal,
social, and emotional toll. We all have stories of how we and our family coped. Sadly, some
families had members who got sick, were possibly hospitalized, and may have died – and
then could not be given a proper celebration of life.
It has not been easy on the nurse’s side either. In my work as the Nurses’ Nurse,
I have been teaching and coaching nurses who were overwhelmed and exhausted
prior to the pandemic. The situation has become worse now. Fearing for their own
health and that of their families, they faithfully went to work, across the healthcare
system. Day after day, working long hours, in a system that was now completely
different. No longer were family members around, which caused more stress and
emotional strain because nurses not only care for their patients, but they work
with families as well.
They did their best with the constant possibility of death. When patients did well
and were discharged, it was a celebration and bells were rung. Those moments were
precious because it was a moment to celebrate and brought staff members a little joy
and needed resilience.

DARLENE SCHINDEL

DARLENE SCHINDEL, THE ‘NURSES’ NURSE

darlene@darleneschindel.com
darleneschindel.com I 780 940-1496

In the beginning, nurses were often praised as heroes and
angels. As the pandemic dragged on, many nurses had difficulty
coping. Some moved to part time positions because the stress
was too much, and even then, they never felt rested and
relaxed going back to work. At this stage, many are leaving
the profession they once loved.
Nurses need support now more than ever.
Unfortunately, they will not get it within the healthcare
system. Their union isn’t advocating for benefits where
nurses get to choose the counselling and coaching
that’s right for them. Despite knowing they need help,
nurses feel limited to invest in their own health.
This is where YOU come in. If you know a nurse who
could use some coaching and support, gift that to them.
Perhaps your company would like to sponsor one or two nurses
with one-on-one coaching. The investment is priceless considering the
difference this would make for the nurse and his/her patients. YOU
have the power to be an agent of change!

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WOMEN IN PROCESS