Career burnout is a hot topic with almost any profession, but it seems burnout is more common with nurses. Working 36 to 40 hours a week, whether it be in three 12-hour increments or four 8-hour increments, it is very easy to get tired of what we do every day, and sometimes our work takes a toll on our everyday lives — that’s usually how you know burnout is approaching. I recently found myself coming home after a typical shift (which usually last around 13 or 14 hours by the time I get to clock out) and sprawling across my bed unable to move. Nurses stand on their feet, sometimes sprinting around a hospital, for over 12 hours a day. I come from a background where I used to workout every day while in school, but I didn’t realize how much more exercise I would be getting at work. Also it’s not just a physical burnout some nurses feel — they also feel emotional and mental burn out as well. I won’t go into details, but we all know the types of things we can encounter at work. It can be super tough.
I have found a couple ways that I try to prevent burnout from happening and keep the spark for what I love doing every day alive. Sometimes the best thing to do is take some time off. Most workplaces allow for PTO to be accrued and taken as long as it’s available. I have planned a getaway trip to Nashville in January where I am allowing myself to take much deserved time off from work. I also periodically request random days off, obviously in advance according to hospital policy, where I can spend time with my family or have a day to myself to do school work or things that I enjoy. I find that when I have a week where I don’t work nearly as much as a typical week, I start to miss being there and it excites me to go back to work the next shift. More importantly, if you are having a bad or stressful day at work – which I’m sure we all have or soon will have – I find that it’s best to take a quick break, calm down with some deep breaths, talk it out with a coworker, and quickly pick yourself back up and move on.
We have learned to be resilient as nurses and when we encounter very hard things at work — whether it be with a patient or personal news we may receive at work — we all know that we can’t bring emotions into the patient care area. I find the same adage helps with dealing with a stressful day at work that typically could be the breaking point with nurse burnout. I recently had a very stressful day at work the other day, on the verge of tears, so I talked it out with a coworker to let out my emotions, picked myself back up, and went on in to the next patient room. As long as we are caring for ourselves first and foremost, nurses are typically able to handle all facets of the job that are thrown our way. Don’t forget, we’re just superheroes disguised in scrubs.
Sydney Adelstein is 2016 graduate of The Ohio State University College of Nursing.