May is Mental Health Awareness Month and a perfect time to check out the numerous resources the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses (AMSN) offers members that focus on mental health and wellness for both medical-surgical nurses and their patients. These resources aim to help medical-surgical nurses navigate difficult work environments, focus on self-care, and help patients who may be struggling with mental health issues.

Behavioral Health Course

AMSN offers a five-module e-learning course on how to care for patients undergoing a behavioral health crisis in the medical-surgical setting, covering suicide, substance-related and addictive disorders, complex behaviors, personality disorders, and de-escalation of situations.

Learn More

Medical-Surgical Monitor

Medical-Surgical Monitor, AMSN’s new online content destination, features articles on an assortment of topics, including mental health and wellness:

• “6 Five-Minute Activities to Improve Your Mood”
• “How to Fix a Bad Day”
• “Assessing Suicide Risk in the Medical-Surgical Setting”
• “Helping Patients With Anxiety and Depression”

Med-Surg Moments

Revisit past episodes of the Med-Surg Moments Podcast that keep mental health and wellness top of mind:

• Episode 34: Compassion Fatigue and Burnout
• Episode 36: How to Work With a Toxic Boss or Co-Worker
• Episode 49: Simple Ideas for Taking Care of Your Fellow Nurses
• Episode 63: My Worst Day as a Med-Surg Nurse
• Episode 99: How to Deal With Nurse Bullying
• Episode 101: How to Stay Positive in a Toxic Work Environment
• Episode 109: How to Navigate Patient Mental Health
• Episode 117: How to Stay Grounded Amidst the Chaos

AMSN Webinar Recordings

• Biology of Stress and the Art of Resilience
• Emotional Intelligence for Nursing Excellence
• Supporting Nurse Self-Care in the Workplace

Past webinar recordings are available for purchase; AMSN members receive a discount.

AMSN Convention/Poster Sessions

• Put On Your Mask First — Daily Practices to Combat Chronic Stress and Burnout
• The Impact of Mindfulness Training on Stress and Burnout During the First Six Months of Practice
• Evaluating the Effectiveness of Virtual Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction
• Who Let the Comfort Dogs Out? A Virtual Approach to Providing Stress-Relief to Nurses
• Critical Stress Management: You Are Not Alone
• Psychiatric and Interventions Education for Nurses Reducing the Stigma Towards Mentally Ill Patients
• Behavioral Health: Depression and Anxiety
• Stress Management Tools to Place in Your Nursing Toolbox

Past convention/poster sessions are available for purchase; AMSN members receive a discount.

Visit AMSN’s website for more information about these and other resources.

Want to write about a wellness topic that is of interest to you and your practice? Reach out to the AMSN content team at mmanghera@amsn.org and ahorner@amsn.org to find out how you can get published.