10/10/2026
An important message for all of the caregivers.
Today is World Mental Health Day, and for those of us in emergency and forensic nursing, this conversation is deeply personal.
We care for people on the hardest days of their lives. We witness trauma, grief, violence, loss and uncertainty – often shift after shift. While we are trained to care for others, we don’t always give ourselves the same permission to ask for help.
Today, I encourage you to pause. Check in on a colleague. Reach out to a friend. Ask how someone is really doing. And just as importantly, take a moment to check in with yourself.
Seeking support is not a sign of weakness: It is a sign of strength. Every nurse deserves to work in an environment where psychological safety is valued, where mental health is treated with the same importance as physical health and where asking for help is met with compassion instead of stigma.
The Emergency Nurses Association remains committed to advancing healthy work environments and supporting the well-being of emergency nurses and the leaders who serve them. If you or someone you know needs support, please explore the resources available through ENA, the Dr. Lorna Breen Foundation, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
You spend every day showing up for others. Today, I hope you’ll remember that you deserve that same care, compassion, and support.
Take care of yourselves—and take care of each other.
- ENA President Dustin Bass
ENA healthy work environment resources > https://bit.ly/3VsJA8X
Dr. Lorna Breen Foundation > https://bit.ly/4yIlbLl
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration > https://bit.ly/4iaLXG1
National Alliance on Mental Illness > https://bit.ly/3Ufw9J6
