As a nurse with quite a varied career across mental health, cancer and palliative care, in education, research, policy and communications, I’ve been working with Cavell Nurses’ Trust for the past couple of years on a range of different projects with a focus on external relations.

Reflecting on several decades as a nurse, I am thankful for the encouragement, along with the challenges, from people I trust, respect and revere. It is their confidence in me that has, at certain times, meant that I go on to do something that otherwise I would probably never have thought I could do. It has given me confidence in myself and hope for the future – sustenance for my own mental health.

In 2019 Cavell Nurses’ Trust asked 1,500 nursing and midwifery staff how their financial situation and working conditions affected their mental health. One of the questions we asked came from the General Health Questionnaire. It focused on having confidence in yourself. Responses indicated that nurses and midwives were more than twice as likely to be losing confidence in themselves compared to similar reports from the general public. Surveys like this, looking here at relationships between finance and mental health, help us to understand how we can better support nurses and midwives, improving what we do and how we do it. Nevertheless, I still found this finding rather startling.

According to one respondent the “intensity of clinical practice can often lead to overwhelming professionals and diminish their self-confidence”. Others noted that a lack of confidence maybe seen as a sign of weakness.

We know that only 12% of nursing and midwifery professionals are likely to speak to their employer if they were facing a financial crisis. As a professional it can be hard to ask for help. Challenges with money often involve some kind of personal difficulty or crisis with issues many find it hard to talk about, never mind admit to experiencing. And it is a distressing list, including, for example, domestic abuse, workplace bullying, struggles with alcohol, threat of homelessness, as well as the impact of physical or mental illness.

It’s true enough that confidence comes from within, but it needs nurturing. Many respondents truly valued the support they get from their colleagues and employers, family and friends. One newly qualified midwife commented hopefully “as my confidence & skills grow then the anxiety & stress may ease.”

All of our lives have been affected in some way by the pandemic, its current challenges and changing circumstances. These can be particularly hard for those facing unexpected additional difficulties of personal or financial crisis. When support falls away or is hard to find, being out of your comfort zone may take a leap of faith to ask for help.

But help is here. Some of those that have received support from Cavell Nurses’ Trust talk about ‘being brave’. They recognise that for them, and so probably for others, it takes confidence to ask for help.

Take heart and read some of their stories here.

I would echo their call to our nursing and midwifery colleagues – to be brave and confident, and ask for help when you need it.

Find help and support here.