FINDLAY, Ohio — Everyone needs a break every once in a while. When it comes to nurses and other medical personnel whose breaks are few and far between, they may need a little more time away from the grind than others.
The nurses at Blanchard Valley Hospital in Findlay learned a valuable lesson during the early stages of the pandemic in 2020: rest and recovery are vital.
In response, Blanchard Valley Hospital's nursing congress made a plan to take over an underutilized space on the fifth floor of the hospital and transform it into something more than a simple break room.
"To make it feel like it's not even in the hospital, it's a very warm and inviting room," nurse Brandy Sterling said. "But, we really honed in on making staff feel like they have a place to go."
The new associate wellness room is open to all hospital staff. The room features couches and a white noise generator as well as coffee, snacks and other drinks.
The nursing congress also applied for a grant to pay for a new massage chair.
Along with a place to relax, the nurses also installed a replaceable art wall to allow for a little creativity to help take their mind off of the day.
"It's giving everybody a place to go," Sterling said. "Not just nurses, but administration, housekeeping, everybody plays a huge role in providing care for the patient. Whether it's direct patient care, or even behind the scenes. So making it for everybody is crucial."
So far, the new room is an instant hit for hospital staff and not only helps them recover from a stressful work day; it also makes those days a little easier to take on.
"Just knowing that you can pop in here real quick, it gives you a little something to look forward to," nurse Marissa Lehman said. "Especially the massage chair has been a huge hit in the hospital."
A second massage chair has been given to the staff at Blanchard Valley's Bluffton Hospital.
The nursing congress now has its sights set on potentially establishing a second associate room on the other end of the Blanchard Valley Hospital as the next project.