Nurse leaders need to create an environment where staff feel seen, heard, valued and safe to say how they feel, and managers need coping skills to enable this

‘Change is the only real constant in life. Life is for living,’ I hear many say. But it is almost impossible to navigate the tightrope of a healthy work-life balance without feeling overwhelmed from time to time.

As nurses, we are trained to manage complex, competing priorities while providing the highest quality care for our patients, service users and their families.

• RELATED: Using emotional intelligence to develop and lead collaborative nursing teams

However, we are humans too and, as leaders, we need to create an environment where our nurses feel seen, heard, valued and safe to say how they feel without fear of ridicule or repercussions.

‘While navigating the uncertainty in which we work, we should all find ways to focus on what we can control and lean into this when the going gets tough’

We need leaders who speak openly and honestly about how to cope in uncertain times and when times are hard.

• RELATED: How to implement compassionate leadership in nursing teams

It is also important to lead by example and reiterate the importance of supporting our own resilience and well-being by knowing when to take a break and not to keep going until we break. To do so requires humility, because for far too long it was felt that leaders needed to be tough.

Coping skills for introverted leaders

While navigating the uncertainty in which we work, we should all find ways to focus on what we can control and lean into this when the going gets tough. We must have the presence of mind to keep our integrity and remain true to ourselves.

• RELATED: Mediating role of psychological empowerment in the relationship between humble leadership and nurses’ innovative work behaviour

As an introverted leader with a noisy mind, I have honed my coping skills in learning to dance in the storm. I share them here in the hope they might be of help to some of you:

• Never reply in haste to emails to ensure you stay emotionally safe and balanced when making key decisions.
• Sense check with trusted people before reacting to ensure that what you say and do aligns with your values of compassion, empathy and respect.
• Leave others better than you found them by remembering that as a leader ‘every interaction matters’.

Nichole McIntosh is regional head of nursing and midwifery, workforce, training and education, NHS London, and member of the Nursing Management editorial advisory board