(COLORADO) — In the wake of the death of Registered Nurse Michael Odell in January of 2022, Don’t Clock Out rose from the ashes of tragic loss to become an organization that stands in the gap for nurses and healthcare workers who need support and resources.
Odell was working at a Stanford hospital in the Bay Area in California. He left his shift early on the night of Jan. 18, 2022, and proceeded to San Francisco Bay where he took his own life. His friends, volunteers, and law enforcement searched for two days following his disappearance.
His wasn’t the only death attributed to the stresses of nursing and the exponential growth of those stressors during the pandemic. This is where Don’t Clock Out comes in. Close friends of Odell created this nonprofit to reach nurses in need as well as other healthcare professionals.
Don’t Clock Out’s website says, “Our goal is simple: we refuse to lose another friend or nursing colleague to preventable mental health crises. Our work isn’t done until every nurse is provided with quality, accessible mental health care.”
Advocacy on behalf of nurses living with mental illness and providing “a digital crisis intervention platform to members of the nursing community who are considering suicide” is a part of their mission according to the website. Don’t Clock Out also seeks to share the common experiences and emotional reactions of nurses with their colleagues, provide peer support, and bridge the gap between nurses and mental healthcare.
The website also features the podcast “The Self Care Unit.” The podcast partners with Don’t Clock Out and Operation Happy Nurse to talk about mental health and healthcare.
Don’t Clock Out also has support groups for nursing personnel to share and receive support from their peers. Hosted on the Circles platform, the support groups take place weekly and are for bedside support and nursing support. From the website:
- Bedside support – To include interdisciplinary staff we have opened up a new support group & encourage any healthcare staff to join us in conversations surrounding your shared experiences in healthcare. Students in all healthcare fields are welcome as well.
- Nursing Support – This group is dedicated to nurses, nursing students & CNAs. Our goal is to disrupt lateral violence & stigma through vulnerability & community.
If you or someone you know is in need of help, 24/7, free and confidential support is available for people in distress. More information on the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, can be found here.
According to its website, “The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the United States.”
FOX21 News reached out to UCHealth and Centura Health about this nonprofit. Both healthcare systems told FOX21 that neither was familiar with it as it is a newer organization.
