Medical caretakers may be rewarded for their work, but they are more likely to suffer from serious burnout symptoms, such as difficulty concentrating low self-esteem, and chronic stress. Many factors can contribute to high-stress levels, including shift work and long hours, understaffing, low salaries and responsibilities, and a dismal support system from medical staff.
It’s essential that new nurses learn how to deal with stress, which is a part of any nursing career. As a result, we consulted nurses and stress management experts to find the most effective strategies for dealing with at-work stress.
Breathe Deeply And Relax
Deep breathing exercises can reduce nursing stress and improve your mood. The extra oxygen relieves stress and releases feel-good endorphins. Meditation, stretches, and deep breathing are a few techniques that can reduce stress for nurses in a significant way. Nurses can easily perform these techniques without getting down on the floor.
Keeping A Work-Life Balance
Many jobs that are high in stress can result in burnout. The nursing profession is no exception. Stress and anxiety are triggered at maximum levels when we fail to enforce a work-life balance.
In some cases, it means establishing boundaries where management does not respect the need for downtime in a given work environment. Sometimes it can mean finding the line between work and home duties, and sometimes it can involve managing time for studies and work.
Early career nurses often have to deal with the stress of studies. Instead of enrolling in a program on campus, RNs can enroll in hassle-free online BSN courses that understand and respect the need of working nurses and offer flexible hours.
You can also spend time with loved ones at home after your shift is over and get involved in activities you enjoy once work is over. You may want to explore new activities and hobbies or practice an activity you’re passionate about. In the long run, you will benefit from any activity that helps you recharge, challenges your mind, or gives you time to yourself.
Consult A Counselor
In high-stress or challenge-filled environments, nurses can negatively affect their mental health, so it is critical to be aware of this.
Whenever possible, nurses should take advantage of the therapy and counseling services available at their facility. They can also find therapists outside the facility when the clinical staff isn’t available.
Counselors can prevent or recover from burnout by using various strategies suggested by counselors or therapists.
Meditate to De-Stress
To practice mindfulness, sit in a quiet spot and focus on your breathing, environment, and emotions when faced with a difficult situation. You can relax by breathing exercises by lowering your body’s stress level and heart rate.
In addition to doing something calming for 60 seconds when you are feeling stressed, you can take a moment to think about the positive things in your life, and feel gratitude.
Take A Peaceful Retreat
Overworked and stressed nurses need to take breaks frequently. Be confident in your judgment. Ask to be taken outside to whatever rejuvenation station is available if you feel so tense you can’t handle it anymore—the more peaceful the setting, the better. Many hospitals have designated areas where their employees and travel nurses can retreat, including quiet rooms with soothing artwork and music. The nurses in many hospitals are encouraged to go to a designated area so they can listen to peaceful music, drink herbal tea, eat cookies, and relax.
Build A Solid Support System
In the absence of connection, people can feel lonely, putting them at risk of anxiety, sadness, and other negative emotions.
It is important to have strong relationships at home and at work to combat nurse burnout. Nurses can cope with high-stress situations by discussing their emotional pain with someone else and balancing their professional and personal pressures.
Despite being able to seek help from colleagues and supervisors, nurses need a support system outside of their workplace. You can form valuable family relationships by calling or video chatting with family or friends regularly, making meals together (even remotely), and spending time together outside or playing games.
It is especially helpful to have a network of people to turn to for support. Nurses, however, must know people on the ground who can offer assistance. It is always comforting and relieving to talk to someone who is familiar with the challenges of nursing. Having a strong network of nursing colleagues can boost professional development, even when things are going well.
Keep A Personal Journal In Which You Can Vent
You can express yourself safely by keeping a personal notebook. As well as organizing your thoughts, it can help you find coping mechanisms for stressful situations. Even some nurses find that drawing calming images or funny scenarios helps them relieve pent-up frustrations, whether they are flowers or funny scenarios.
A Daily Dose Of Exercise
Exercise releases endorphins in our bodies that reduce stress, triggering a feeling of euphoria, which helps nurses cope with stressful situations. You may also find it more enjoyable to exercise if you choose to dance in a hip-hop class, kickbox, or run.
Taking a physical break will rejuvenate your body and give your mind a mental vacation from your work. Nurses are encouraged to exercise 30 minutes a day if time does not allow for leisure activities, such as walking during free periods or working out after rounds.
Don’t Take It Personally
Family members and patients with a sick loved one face some of the greatest stress. You are not being seen as individuals when they express their fear of you or anger at you. Instead, you are simply another employee or patient of the clinic. If the situation is serious, explain what is happening to the floor manager and step away from the incident. You can rejuvenate your mind, calm your nerves, and clear your head by stepping outside for a few minutes.
Develop A Healthy Lifestyle
Self-control and setting boundaries are necessary for developing a healthy lifestyle. Putting your health last can result from chaotic schedules, long working hours, and bad habits. You can even take some time to do something you enjoy in your own company.
Prepare healthy snacks and meals in advance. Despite being on the go and always needing to eat, nurses can benefit from nutritional cleanses to help them manage stress.
Nurses should strive to get at least seven hours of sleep every night, no matter how their sleeping schedule changes. With enough sleep, you can focus, be more concentrated, have energy, improve your mood, and be more motivated.
It is also important to consider sleep quality. You can sleep better if you limit screentime and avoid alcohol and caffeine before bed.
Nurses’ health is affected by nursing stress. Every RN should explore stress management for nurses, but you must also determine what self-care practices are most effective. Regardless of the path they follow, nurses should prioritize self-care. Ultimately, this method of caring for nurses’ health can reduce their stress on the job and improve their performance.
Identify the Signs of Nurse Burnout
The symptoms of nursing burnout can vary, but they include exhaustion, disliking going to work, feeling underappreciated, and being constantly overworked. The result can be a decrease in employee morale, leading to resignations and instability at the workplace.
Self-care is challenging in a fast-paced, ever-changing work environment. Nurses can burn out when overburdened with a constant stream of high-stress situations, long hours, and emotional support to patients and their families.
Nurse burnout manifests itself in several ways, including:
- Getting to work late
- Excessive absences from work
- An attitude of negativity
- Retaining social circles
Taking time to rest or recharge can prevent nurses from developing chronic stress. Over time, it may cause depression, accelerate aging, and weaken immunity.
To avoid nursing burnout, you can take extra precautions and prioritize self-care when observing such symptoms in others or yourself. Your personal and professional lives will benefit from self-care.
Conclusion
The nursing profession can be very stressful, especially for those just starting out. Pandemic stress has only made the situation more dire. Today, nurses find ways to reduce stress and increase confidence when they access mental health and well-being resources, are supported by their peers, and are mentored.