As we prepare to celebrate 30 years of World Mental Health Day it would be inexcusable to ignore the mental health crisis that`s happening now for so many nurses. This could prove to be more deadly that the recent pandemic. The theme for World Mental Health Day this year is to “make mental health and wellbeing for all a global priority”.
While millions have experienced COVID-19’s adversities, the nursing profession has experienced a disproportionate share. At no other time in the history of nursing have we faced such prolonged, cumulative trauma and stress.
In addition, NHS staff are facing a cost-of-living crisis which is forcing them to leave for better paid jobs in shops and hospitality, with “huge numbers” of staff taking other jobs, or considering second jobs, outside of the NHS. Royal College of Nursing general secretary Pat Cullen said: “When half of the NHS needs to open food banks for its own staff, ministers’ heads should be hanging in shame.”
If we begin to consider what we know contributes to good mental health and well-being: feeling valued, feeling safe, basic needs - food, warmth, sleep, being met. Looking forward to what lies ahead and knowing that even if things are difficult now, they will inevitably get better because we have people to support and help us. Then consider what leads to mental ill health: feeling overwhelmed, invalidated, hopeless, unsupported, not cared about and basic needs not being met it is hardly surprising that there is a “Dark Cloud Over Nursing”.
The RCN pay ballot which opened on Thursday 6 October 2022 and will close on 2 November 2022 is not just about pay, whilst that forms the basis of our trade dispute, for nursing, the issues are much wider. The recruitment and retention crisis, the erosion of the profession, the lack of safe staffing and risks to patient safety and ultimately the viability of the NHS are all integral to this campaign. Nursing and patients have never been more at risk, and we must act now before it’s too late.
This is the opportunity we have been waiting for. We cannot remain quiet and complacent, not for our patients and not for ourselves. We are a proud, generous, giving profession but now it’s our turn to take back our true worth, dignity and respect for all that we do.
We are urging nurses to vote, vote, vote and let the UK Governments know that “enough is enough” and they must listen right now.
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