National labour-hire agency Altaira partners with wellbeing charity Healthcare Heartbeat to deliver Wellness Grants to nurses who work in Aged Care. 

Aged Care nurses in Victoria and South Australia can apply to receive an Altaira Wellness Grant, providing them with access to Healthcare Heartbeat’s online program Reflect, Reset & Renew (RRR), along with the delivery of authentically home-cooked meals. 

A recently released longitudinal cohort study of health and aged care workers (ambulance, hospitals, primary care, residential aged care) in Victoria from May 2021 to June 2022 found that increased burnout and reduced optimism, well-being, and resilience were more frequently reported during late 2021 and mid‐2022 than in mid‐2021.  

Across Australia, untreated mental health symptoms have led to health professionals having a 30% higher risk of suicide than people in other occupations. 

“Many staff are at breaking point and energy reserves are at an all-time low. This is having a significant impact on the aged care sector,” said Jelena Giro, Altaira Director.  

Giro, who is also a member of the Recruitment Consulting Services Association (RSA) ANZ and Australian Nursing Recruitment Agency (ANRA) Councils, has first-hand experience of the challenges healthcare workers face as they combat the ongoing effects of the pandemic and staff shortage crisis. 

“Our workers dedicate their lives to the well-being of our seniors, often at the expense of their own health and the health of their families,” said Giro.  

“The flow-on effect of strengthening an aged care worker’s mental fitness is that it can also improve the quality of resident care they deliver, boost morale, and improve retention rates.” 

Recipients of the Wellness Grants will learn how to better recognise signs of stress and put strategies in place to prevent burnout.  

They will understand the 3-step process for embedding well-being practices into busy day-to-day routines.  

The sessions are highly practical with a focus on strategies that can be used in the moment to regain a sense of calm – even when healthcare workers are in the midst of a hectic shift. 

“Firstly, we offer strategies that can be used at the moment when healthcare workers are feeling triggered or under stress so they can regain a sense of calm and even enhance their focus and performance,” said Katheryn Curnow, RRR Facilitator.  

“Secondly, and even more importantly, is to reframe the mindset and rhetoric of self-care being perceived as an optional practice only engaged in when you have the time. We recognise that our wellbeing is inextricably linked to our sense of life satisfaction, the quality of our relationships and our capacity to fulfil our potential.” 

All nurses are being encouraged to look after their mental health and wellbeing. If you are a nurse currently employed in the Aged Care sector in Victoria or South Australia, you can apply to receive an Altaira Wellness Grant: Apply for an Altaira Wellness Grant! – Altaira Services 

“At Healthcare Heartbeat we are committed to providing science-based programs that support our healthcare workers to thrive,” added Curnow.