Nurse & Midwife Support Podcast

We are delighted to introduce the winner of our story competition celebrating nursing friendships. Competition winner and registered nurse Melinda Jesudason joins us on the podcast to discuss her friendship with fellow nurse Hester and share her winning poem.

Understanding professional boundaries is vital for nurses and midwives to practise safely and adhere to our registration requirements and protect ourselves and the public from harm. Unfortunately, asserting professional boundaries isn’t always easy. At Nurse & Midwife Support we often hear from nurses and midwives that navigating professional boundaries can be complex. We support nurses and midwives impacted by boundary transgressions or with questions about boundary management. We know that managing professional boundaries may not always be black and white and we are here to support you. The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) also recognise that managing professional boundaries can sometimes be difficult, particularly identifying and differentiating the boundaries between professional relationships and personal relationships. That’s why they provide guidance on professional boundaries in the respective Code of conduct that aim to protect the community by helping to prevent distress, confusion,

The mental health of nurses, midwives and students is vitally important. In this episode of the podcast we welcome our first ever co-host Tessa Moriarty and discuss insights and experiences on mental health for working nurses and midwives with Registered Midwife Georgie Southam and Registered Nurse Kat Evans. We discuss the unique challenges and factors that impact workers in the healthcare industry. Working on the frontline during the ongoing pandemic has led to prolonged levels of unhealthy stress, anxiety, depression, burnout, and post-traumatic stress disorder in our workforce. Our guests share tips and tricks to improve your mental health and access support. We urge you to remind yourself every day that your health matters as much as the health of those you care for. We hope you know how important your mental health is. If you ever need to chat Nurse & Midwife Support are here for you. Give us a call on 1800 667 877 — free, confidential, 24/7. https://www.nmsupport.org.au/news/podcast-mental-health-t

Have you started 2022 feeling you are in survival mode? Was your longed-for leave cancelled? Are you working too many hours? Are you — like many — sapped of energy, depleted, and running on empty? Do you feel cooked? You are not alone. Unfortunately, this is exactly how many nurses and midwives feel. This podcast may help you to shift gears, refocus on your own health and make intentional changes to move into thrive mode! Two years into this brutal pandemic, many nurses and midwives are exhausted, fatigued and wondering how much they have left in their energy tank. We are concerned about the impact on the health of nurses and midwives. We’ve recorded this podcast to offer you support, health tips and hope. Two years ago, we spoke to Sam Eddy, Mental Health First Aider, experienced workplace coach and educator on Episode 15 of the podcast. We discussed stress management in times of crisis. That was in the early months of the pandemic and now feels like a lifetime ago. Given the popularity of the episode we as

WARNING: This issue deals with sensitive issues including problems related to substance use. This is a complex and sensitive area and may be triggering for some, difficult for others and result in strong emotions. If this topic raises issues for you, now may not be the right time for you to read it. Give us a call on Nurse & Midwife Support on 1800 667 877 if you would like to talk about what you are feeling.  For many nurses and midwives, talking about problems related to substance use can be challenging, anxiety provoking and evoke complex feelings including fear, shame, and stigma. Many do not know where to start to access support. We thought you may need a helping hand if you are struggling with this issue yourself or supporting someone who is struggling. On this episode of the Your Health Matters podcast we speak to Registered Nurse Dr Adam Searby, lecturer at the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Health, Deakin University and president of Drug and Alcohol Nurses of Australasia (DANA). We di

The COVID-19 pandemic feels like a marathon. Many nurses and midwives have been racing against this pandemic since March 2020. We all want it to end. If you are feeling fatigued and exhausted by the impact of COVID-19, you are not alone. Chances are you feel like you haven’t had time to pause and catch your breath. We hear from nurses and midwives that they feel drained and don’t know how to refuel. We thought you may need a helping hand. On this episode of The Your Health Matters podcast we speak to Marie Louise and Kerrie Otto de Grancy, from the Evolve Yourself Institute (EYI) about the importance of your health, wellbeing and self-care and the impact of not doing so during challenging times. EYI is committed to supporting nurses and midwives to get their life on track with self-care practices and processes. They share some breathing and mindfulness activities to incorporate into your day and fortify yourself against chronic stress. Many nurses and midwives feel exhausted and often overwhelmed by the

On this episode of the Nurse & Midwife Support Your Health Matters podcast we speak to Jay Court about This Way Up, a digital program to support the mental health of nurses, midwives, and students. Jay Court is the Digital Mental Health Engagement Lead for This Way Up at the Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety and Depression (CRUfAD), St Vincent's Hospital Sydney. Jay has dual backgrounds in mental health nursing and communications. Jay discusses the importance of nurses and midwives taking care of their mental health, some of the challenges and barriers to this and how online digital mental health support removes access problems. This Way Up provides evidence-based programs and resources developed and run by clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, researchers, and web technicians based at the Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety and Depression (CRUfAD) — a joint facility of St Vincent’s Hospital and the University of New South Wales. The This Way Up program and resources are based on iCBT, which is internet

In this episode we talk to Julie Sharrock, an experienced registered nurse and clinical supervisor about the importance of clinical supervision. We explore the benefits and why professional self-care as an essential form of support for nurses and midwives. Clinical supervision is a formal process that aids supported reflection. It is one tool underutilised by nurses and midwives to provide support. Julie explains how the process helps nurses and midwives to develop their practice through regular time spent in reflective discussion with experienced and knowledgeable colleagues trained in providing clinical supervision — you won’t want to miss Julie drawing a parallel between clinical supervision and the Pensieve in Harry Potter! It’s the first time the wisdom of a Harry Potter character has made it to the Your Health Matters podcast, and we hope it won’t be the last time! The magic of support matters! Mark Aitken Stakeholder Engagement Manager

On this episode of the Nurse & Midwife Support podcast we speak to Jackson Heilberg, founder of The Nurse Break (TNB), about how vital it is that nurses, midwives and students access support whenever they need it.

Bullying in the workplace is never OK, but it is a reality for many. The experience can have a detrimental impact on health and wellbeing and may be related to long-term negative impacts. In the second part of this special double episode of the podcast Mark talks to Tessa Moriarty, a mental health nurse who shares her personal story of workplace bullying and how she recovered from the experience. Tessa shares that by the time she realised she was being bullied both her mental and physical health had been negatively affected. Elle Brown, Nurse & Midwife Support Senior Clinician also joins us to provide information and insights into what to expect if you contact Nurse & Midwife Support about workplace bullying and/or harassment and how we can assist you.

Bullying in the workplace is never OK, but it is a reality for many. The experience can have a detrimental impact on health and wellbeing and may be related to long-term negative impacts. In this special double episode of the podcast we discuss workplace bullying and harassment and what kind of support is available for those who experience it. In this episode, our host Mark Aiken speaks to Karen Gately, HR Consultant and Director of Corporate DOJO. They provide information, insights, resources, tips, strategies and explore the choices you may consider enabling you to return to your best self if your experience of workplace bullying has knocked you for a six. Karen explains the workplace factors that put people at risk of bulling and harassment and the importance of leadership that fosters a culture of trust and respect where workplace bullying is not tolerated to ensure that staff are supported to thrive. We also discuss the ‘unconscious bully’ and factors that may cause a person to engage in bullying and

Our 3 podcast guests share their thoughts, reflections and wisdom about what supports them to make decisions about their life phases and career transitions. For more information please visit: https://www.nmsupport.org.au/resources/podcasts/life-phases-and-career-transition

Frances’ story is one of two winners for our International Year of the Nurse and Midwife Story Competition. Her story will resonate with so many nurses and midwives we hope you enjoy it! Read her story and listen to the podcast. https://nmsupport.org.au/resources/podcasts

Tessa is one of the two amazing winners of this year’s Nurse & Midwife Support Story Competition. Her story really struck a cord with all of the judges we hope you enjoy it! Read her story and listen to the podcast. https://nmsupport.org.au/resources/podcasts

Burnout is something that many nurses and midwives experience in their career. In this episode we talk to Athol Hann. a registered nurse. about his experience of burnout, what he did to move past it, and what others can do to avoid it.

Accredited exercise physiologist, Liz Hewett explores the difference between exercise and physical activity, the importance of exercise to the health and well-being of nurses and midwives, and the fitness challenges experienced by some in the profession. For more information, please visit: https://www.nmsupport.org.au/resources/podcasts/exercise-and-physical-activity-with-liz-hewett

R U OK? Day has been encouraging us to have important conversations with colleagues, friends and family for many years now. This year they are urging us to consider what more there is to say after RUOK? In line with this we are launching our new page and podcast on suicide. Where we broadly look at the topic including signs to look for and what to do if you are concerned that you, or someone close to you, is feeling suicidal, or showing signs of suicidality. Plus how to talk about it – a conversation can change a life. For more information, please visit: https://www.nmsupport.org.au/mental-health/suicide

I’ve been thinking a lot about this topic lately. Particularly as nurses and midwives are often called upon to be resilient. The COVID-19 pandemic and bushfires have challenged us in so many ways and you might not feel like you have much left in the tank. Resilience is a complex dynamic concept, consisting of many factors. To enhance our understanding I recorded a podcast with Professor Kim Foster. Kim is an internationally recognised mental health nurse academic, researcher and educator widely published in resilience, mental health and psychosocial health research. Find out more by visiting http://nmsupport.org.au/resources/podcasts/resilience-kim-foster

Nurses and Midwives aren’t immune from the effects of grief, compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma. Mark discusses those effects with guests Lea McInerney and Carole Arbuckle in this new episode of our podcast. Visit https://nmsupport.org.au/resources/podcasts/ for more information.

In this special edition Mark Aitken discusses the prospect of COVID-19 with Mental Health First Aid expert Sam Eddy. They talk about the importance of acknowledging emotional and physical responses to stress when crisis occurs and how to implement strategies in response. Visit http://nmsupport.org.au/podcasts for more information