Barriers to using NWHT to combat
One of the challenges to confronting burnout is that weary minds do not commonly absorb new information well when new models are proposed, especially in large corporations or health care systems. For this reason, Conti-O'Hare's QUEST model has limited application for first-time burnout sufferers who, being in the throes of trauma, may lack the ability to see its usefulness. Simultaneously, extensive preparation using QUEST may formularize the experience of trauma so completely that instructive, raw suffering is not experienced.
Part of overcoming these barriers is in the hands of the individuals requiring help. They must acknowledge their own unresolved trauma and the need for assistance in overcoming it. This is where the self-care initiatives and team-building activities come into play: by slowly exposing the nurses to tools they can be using to care for themselves. Bi-weekly visits by the counselor will also give the skeptical nurse an opportunity to build trust with the counselors and perhaps take advantage of a 30-minute session. This will overcome the physical barrier of leaving the floor to visit the counselors. For nurses overwhelmed by meaningless, albeit well-intentioned, acronyms that appear to over-simplify their trauma, they can rest assured that the trained counselors will know how to integrate QUEST and NWHT into their professional practice. Through education and repeated exposure, the burned-out nurse will hopefully receive the counseling needed and start on the journey to become a Wounded Healer.
Part of overcoming these barriers is in the hands of the individuals requiring help. They must acknowledge their own unresolved trauma and the need for assistance in overcoming it. This is where the self-care initiatives and team-building activities come into play: by slowly exposing the nurses to tools they can be using to care for themselves. Bi-weekly visits by the counselor will also give the skeptical nurse an opportunity to build trust with the counselors and perhaps take advantage of a 30-minute session. This will overcome the physical barrier of leaving the floor to visit the counselors. For nurses overwhelmed by meaningless, albeit well-intentioned, acronyms that appear to over-simplify their trauma, they can rest assured that the trained counselors will know how to integrate QUEST and NWHT into their professional practice. Through education and repeated exposure, the burned-out nurse will hopefully receive the counseling needed and start on the journey to become a Wounded Healer.