Nursing is one of the shining stars during the time of COVID19. The response to the pandemic has generated an all hands on deck response to the unprecedented national emergency. As we all know, whether in a direct care role or providing nursing services in many other ways, the cumulative stress is taking a toll on nurses.
Rutgers University School of Nursing is providing a series of 7 free webinars directed at healing the healers. The series started on April 7 and continues through April 30th. The webinars will be archived for viewing at your convenience. Registration is free and you do not need to be associated with Rutgers to access the content.
A Guided Webinar Series of Tools and Resources for Support, Safety, and Sanctuary
- 7 Free Webinars are available to current students, alumni, faculty and the nursing community.
- Registration is Free
- Sign up at any point in the series.
- Sessions will be recorded and posted for viewing if you can’t attend the live session.
The webinar series is designed and coordinated by our Rutgers School of Nursing alumna, Donna Gaffney, DNSc, PMHCNS-BC. Dr. Donna Gaffney has long addressed trauma, loss, and grief in the lives of children, adults, and communities. As a psychotherapist and consultant, she has worked with families, schools, and professionals in the aftermath of tragedies and national disasters, such as the Challenger explosion, the Pan Am 103 crash, Sandy Hook, the Haitian earthquake, and Hurricane Katrina. After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Dr. Gaffney was a member of the New Jersey Traumatic Loss Coalition and the State of NJ Disaster Mental Health Services, working with Liberty Science Center, communities, families, and professionals. She served on the Families of September 11 advisory board, facilitating one of the first online support groups for family members affected by the 9/11 terrorist attacks. View Full Bio
1. What We Carry
Tuesday 4/7/2020 – 1PM EDT
Upon completion of this webinar session, participants will:
- Identify the responsibilities, worries and concerns they carry for themselves and others. First identified through author Tim O’Brien’s powerful anthology of soldier’s stories in Vietnam, What They Carried.
- Recognize and name emotions (fear, anxiety, guilt, sadness, etc.) generated by the pandemic and their indispensable work.
- Build a toolbox for your health and well-being.
- Prioritize goals through short readings and exercises.
2. Welcoming Self-Compassion, Finding Support and Self-Care
Monday 4/13/2020 – 6PM EDT
Upon completion of this webinar session, participants will:
- Identify your ability to provide self-compassion
- Locate support in your work and personal lives.
- Recognize toxicity in relationships and environments.
- Identify and practice mind-body self-care strategies.
3. Offering Compassion and Comfort from a Distance
Friday 4/17/2020 – 8:30AM EDT
Upon completion of this webinar session, participants will:
- Describe how to be present for colleagues and patients
- Develop actions that enhance compassion and comforting
- Reaffirm compassion for self and others.
4. When Bearing Witness is Too Much to Bear
Monday 4/20/2020 – 3PM EDT
Upon completion of this webinar session, participants will:
- Name Trauma and traumatic Responses in yourself, and environment
- Recognize vicarious trauma
- Identify when to ask for help
5. Facing Grief and Grieving
Thursday 4/23/2020 – Time TBA
Upon completion of this webinar session, participants will:
- Discuss video calls and saying Goodbye with Patients
- Recognize your role in a family’s mourning.
- Discuss loss, grief, and grieving colleagues
- Recognize vicarious grief
6. Families and Relationships Matter
Monday 4/27/2020 – 3PM EDT
Upon completion of this webinar session, participants will:
- Discuss how social distancing can narrow one’s world of support and connection.
- Make a workable plan when practicing physical distancing and social connections
- Find effective ways to bridge separations
- Diffuse tension in relationships.
- Discuss longing for normalcy
7. Transforming Helplessness
Thursday 4/30/2020 – 8:30AM EDT
Upon completion of this webinar session, participants will:
- Recognize and accept vulnerability
- Reframe uncertainty and fear
- Identify your best actions and approaches to build growth and strength.
- Make a difference in your own life and the lives of others
- Emerge from the pandemic whole and on a journey of healing and growth
