Supporting Mental Health in Nursing: Strategies for Building Resilience

It’s 2 a.m. on a busy hospital floor. Sarah, a first-year nurse, stands by a patient’s bedside, exhaustion weighing her down. She hasn’t had a proper meal or break in over eight hours. The beeping of machines fills the air. But in her mind, the thoughts of patient care, looming paperwork, and tomorrow’s shift echo on repeat. Being a nurse is her passion, but lately, the emotional and physical toll has been overwhelming. Each day, she gives so much, but there's little left for herself. She wonders if she should quit. 

Nurses like Sarah and nursing students in clinical rotations face mental health challenges that are often invisible but deeply impactful. The stress of long shifts, high patient loads, emotional strain, and the expectation to always be “on” can quickly build into burnout. The suicide rate for healthcare workers is higher than the general population—a sobering reminder that the weight of nursing roles can come at a high personal cost. But there is hope, and resilience is key.

According to the AACN, resilience in nursing is defined as “the ability to positively adapt to difficult and trying situations.” Building resilience can serve as a protective factor against depression, anxiety, and burnout, leading to happier and healthier nurses and improved patient outcomes. 

Here are five strategies for building resilience in nursing mental health. 

Strategies for building mental health in nursing

1. Advocate for institutional change

The story of nurse well-being is incomplete without acknowledging the crucial role healthcare institutions play in supporting mental health. While self-care is vital, no amount of individual effort can fully address the systemic challenges that nurses face in their workplaces. Advocacy, whether speaking up to a supervisor, raising concerns with leadership, or participating in collective action like strikes, is essential to creating lasting change. 

Nurse strikes more than tripled from 2020 to 2023 and are on track to surpass last year's numbers in 2024, with inadequate staffing, burnout, and mental health support cited as major concerns. This trend highlights that the root issues go far beyond what individual self-care can solve. 

In this context, resilience isn’t just about personal strength to cope with stress—it’s about advocating for the institutional changes needed to create environments where nurses can thrive. Policies that promote work-life balance, flexible scheduling, adequate break times, and appropriate staffing levels are critical in fostering this resilience. When nurses are supported at an institutional level, their ability to adapt and stay strong in the face of challenges is reinforced.

Advocating for institutional change doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing commitment. Depending on your energy level and goals, you can choose to get involved in advocacy efforts at any scale, from small conversations with your team to joining larger movements for policy reform. No matter the approach, each step taken contributes to a healthcare system that values and protects the mental health of its nurses.

2. Practice self-care

Let’s return to Sarah, the first-year nurse working at 2 a.m. While we may not know the details of her shift or how many hours she’s been on her feet, one thing is clear: without intentional self-care, Sarah’s mental and physical health will be at risk. Research shows that incorporating even small self-care practices—both at work and at home—can significantly improve a nurse's quality of life and build resilience to face the demands of the job.

Researchers suggest:

1. Limit clinical hours to less than 40 per week
2. Aim for consistent shifts without rotation
3. Express emotions
4. Take time to exercise
5. Prepare healthy meals before working a shift
6. Get proper sleep
7. Participate in mindfulness training
8. Practice stress reduction techniques

A systematic review of 22 studies found that “occupational fatigue among nurses was consistently associated with mental health concerns, work absences, and worsening work performance,” lacking self-care impacts the nurse and the patient. By prioritizing their well-being, nurses like Sarah can maintain the stamina and resilience needed to provide the highest level of care.

3. Strive for a work-life balance

Work-life balance is a cornerstone of resilience, but for many nurses, it feels like an elusive goal. Research shows that the inability to balance restrictive and often unpredictable work schedules with personal and family life has led about 18% of nurses to leave the profession. The demands of nursing—long hours, emotional strain, and frequent shifts—can make it difficult to carve out time for personal well-being.

Marissa Kloss, MS, RN, PED-BC, Nurse Educator at UbiSim shared, “Don’t feel you have to pick up the extra shift to work overtime if the unit is short-staffed if you truly are struggling with that and need some time off.” Setting boundaries, like saying 'no' to extra shifts, may feel challenging at first, but it’s a vital part of preserving well-being. These boundaries not only protect your energy but also build the resilience needed to continue providing compassionate care.

While nurses and nursing students can’t always control systemic issues like staffing shortages or mandatory overtime, they can take small steps to protect their work-life balance. 

4. Utilize your communities and support systems

Developing a sense of community can help nurses feel less isolated in high-stress environments. Research consistently shows that nurses must have support systems in place to develop and maintain resilience. A supportive workplace environment—including peer support, mentorship, and management engagement—has been shown to significantly enhance emotional well-being and reduce burnout​

Here are some key types of support nurses and nursing students can tap into:

1. Peer support from colleagues and other students
2. Mentorship from more experienced nurses
3. Support from family and friends outside of work
4. Professional communities (both in-person and online)

Having these networks in place ensures that nurses are not alone in facing the pressures of their profession. By building strong, supportive relationships, nurses can strengthen their emotional resilience and improve their overall well-being.

5. Access mental health resources

Accessing mental health resources can be a key to maintaining mental well-being and lessening or preventing serious issues like depression, PTSD, anxiety, etc. 

Here are some key mental health resources that can help build resilience and prevent burnout:

1. Counseling and therapy
2. Mental health hotlines
   • Text FRONTLINE to 741741: Free crisis counseling for healthcare professionals to help deal with fear, isolation, anxiety, stress, and other challenging emotions.
3. Peer-support programs
4. Mindfulness and stress-reduction apps

Nurse Journal has a comprehensive list of mental health resources for nursing professionals.

Accessing mental health support doesn’t have to be daunting. Whether you’re seeking immediate crisis counseling or daily stress management tools, these resources can help you take care of your mind and maintain the resilience needed to continue caring for others. Taking care of yourself means you can keep doing the work you love without compromising your own well-being.

Final thoughts

Nurses like Sarah—whether they are just starting out or have years of experience—often face overwhelming burnout challenges. But there is hope. By building resilience, nurses can not only protect their own mental health but also continue to provide the high level of care that patients need and deserve.