A Place for Frontline Providers to Chill Out

“Health care staff continually face a high risk of burnout and exhaustion – a challenge that was only intensified by the pandemic and still continues. This is why we work hard every day to think of ways to make our staff feel valued and respected.”

The Recharge Room is designed to give hospital staff a place to reset and get back to a mental state that allows them to continue to care for their patients.

“At the end of the day, if you've never had a chance to decompress – the chance to come back down to baseline – then you end the day completely exhausted, completely spent,” Nuanez said. “We recommend that people try to find time, a minute or two minutes, just to be able to come back down to baseline throughout the day.”

The vision for the Recharge Room began in late 2021 with a donation from Nusenda Credit Union. UNM Hospital’s Facilities Planning Team got to work, looking at hospitals around the country for inspiration, including a space at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City that created a biophilic environment – a space that helps connect people with their innate love of nature.

“Nusenda is proud to partner with UNM Hospital to create a respite space for health care providers,” Joe Christian, Nusenda’s president and CEO. “The last few years have taught us how critical it is to care for our communities and their caregivers. UNM Hospital’s Care for the Caregiver program and respite room provide resources and space in the hospital for health care providers to decompress from difficult situations, lower stress levels and take a quiet break before returning to the people relying on their support.”

In addition to comfortable seating, UNM Hospital’s Recharge Room includes a large state-of-the-art projector where nature videos and relaxing music can be played. “And it's all connected to lights,” Nuanez said. “As video is changing, the lights also change to match. So, it's really a nice experience.”

While the space can only hold six to eight people at a time, Nuanez says the meaning behind the Recharge Room is much, much bigger.

“The reality is that it's one room in a hospital of 7,000 employees. So, it's not going to be something that everybody's going to use. But it is something that everybody will be able to recognize as important,” Nuanez said. “So, in whatever place you find yourself, you know that ‘this is something that I need to do to take care of myself.’”