Missouri Nurse Winter 2022/2023

Put Your OWN Mask on First: Incorporating Brain Science into Self-Care Practices

Pee r Rev i ewed

Cynthia Aurentz, DNP, MSN, RN, CNE, RYT Melissa Penkalski, DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC Jeanie Skibiski, DNAP, MHA, CRNA, FAANA, CPPS

Diane Smith, DNP, MSN, RN, CNE Alisha Tuttle, MSN, RN, PMHNP-BC

W e have all heard the pre-flight instructions to put our own oxygen mask on before we help others. This analogy has become the mantra for self-care. Nurses know this intuitively--that taking care of ourselves first means we can help others. It’s what happens AFTER you put your mask on that is critical: You begin to breathe normally again. You have a steady oxygen supply. Your brain functions in a way that helps you make good decisions and troubleshoot problems. You can think clearly enough to put others’ masks on for them so they can breathe. Everyone arrives safely at their destination. After Captain Sullenberger’s Miracle on the Hudson , debriefs and inquiries that allowed for extensive processing were a priority (Peterson, 2019) He and his crewwere not told to hurry back to the airport so they could get the next plane in the air. Nurses aren’t provided with this luxury.We experience repeated high-stress situations with little regard for the need to process. The work environment can feel impossible to keep up with. Add to that the vicarious trauma we experience as part of a ‘normal’ shift, and we are at risk for the degradation of our own health. The nursing shortage can in part be attributed to the inability or

16 | The Missouri Nurse :: Winter 2022/2023

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