Burnout is twice as high among nurses as in the general population.
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Four nurses ran a 50-kilometre route Sunday from Lakeshore General Hospital to Mount Royal to raise awareness of mental-health issues and recognize the importance of nurses’ work.
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It was the second year in a row for the event, which marked both Mental Health Week, which ended Sunday, and National Nursing Week, which starts Monday.
“We wanted to celebrate our profession and also bring awareness on mental health and how important it is to take care of ourselves even though we’re very busy working long hours,” said Sarah Bachand, a nurse at LaSalle Hospital, who started the run last year with Natalia Mursa Curchi, Rosein (Gülin) Yilmaz and Mélanie Myrand.
“We’re four nurses that didn’t know each other, but we all had a common interest in running,” Bachand said.
The runners followed a route that brought them to nine hospitals and three long-term care centers in six-and a half hours.
“We decided to run last year and encourage all of our colleagues from hospital to hospital because it’s the beginning of Nurses’ Week,” said Bachand, 45, who started running 10 years ago.
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“With everything that has happened in recent years, the morale of nursing staff has been put to the test and we want to remind our colleagues of the importance of taking time for themselves in order to maintain good health,” she said.
Runs were also held in the Eastern Townships and Vaudreuil-Dorion this year.
Supporters who found out about the event on Facebook joined the run at various points along the route, Bachand said.
More than one-third of Canadians report suffering from burnout and health-care workers top the list of professions most affected, said Renée Ouimet, the director of Mouvement Santé Mentale Québec.
Burnout is twice as high among nurses as in the general population, she said.
The run also honored the memory of Sonia Brown, a nurse who committed suicide in March 2021.
Brown’s death highlighted the need to raise awareness of mental-health issues, Bachand said.
“It just makes me feel like we need to take this seriously and make sure the tools are there and the resources are enough, not only for colleagues, but the community at large,” she said.
“I think the pandemic has been really stressful and we’re seeing a lot of anxiety and depression, and it’s really, really important that we address this,” she added.
Bachand said the runners hope to continue the run next year and expand it to other regions of Quebec.