Comments on: on the verge of a burn out http://www.aboutanurse.com/2007/07/on-a-verge-of-a-burn-out.html a nurse blog. Thu, 20 Nov 2008 09:29:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.7 by: Katie http://www.aboutanurse.com/2007/07/on-a-verge-of-a-burn-out.html#comment-76493 Wed, 07 May 2008 09:52:15 +0000 http://www.aboutanurse.com/2007/07/on-a-verge-of-a-burn-out.html#comment-76493 I really do feel for graduate nurses - I was one just a few short years ago. I despised my first year out. I was treated awfully by other staff, given incredibly heavy patient loads and for at least the first few months really felt like I didn't know what I was doing. NOW, a year and a half after my grad programme ended, I finally feel like I've found my way through to the other side and while I still get stressed at work - I leave it ALL there and I can sleep and completely disconnect once I leave the ward. Here are a few of my pointers. 1. PLAN! Look thoroughly through your patients charts and on a time planner, write everything down that you have to do. Refer to it constantly and cross things off as you go, and add things as you discover you need to do them like "dressing" and "MSU" that you mightn't have known at the start of the shift. This will help you stay organised. Be specific, differentiate between meds - oral ABs, IVABs, s/c like clexane, or DDs like oxycontin. Even record every time you need to read the PCA or measure urine or record fluid intake after a meal. And re-read your handover notes so you don't miss anything. 2. Have sex! This is the one thing that truly distracts you from work - once you get home of course! Whether its with your partner or by yourself, its guaranteed to take your mind off your patients and their illnesses and nasty work people and medications and your sore back and legs. Other good distractions are watching DVDs and having a glass of wine and spending time with your friends and talking about other things aside from work. 3. Take all education opportunities offered. Study days will teach you things you may have forgotten from Uni (or weren't listening that day), go to inservices whenever they are on, and take home as many self-directed-learning-packages (SDLPs) as possible. It will make things less scary when you need to do them for the first or second or third time. Say yes to doing all new things you've never seen or done and get the experience that is going to give you confidence in the future. 4. Reduce your hours. I stared at fulltime (10 eight hour shifts per fortnight) and quickly realised this was too much for me, so I went down to 9 shifts per fortnight, then 8. Now I am working for an agency and do between three and five a week (usually four!). And I only do afternoon shifts, because I know I dislike (greatly!) early mornings. Whenever I used to do morning shifts, I'd sleep really poorly the night before. I've figured out what workds for me and that is what I do! 5. Get some counselling if you really need it. I did and it worked a treat. As I said, I now don't think about work at all when I leave the wards. Its great. I am a person that only a couple of years ago wouldn't be able to eat because I was too nervous about work, wouldn't be able to sleep because I was sick thinking about work... Now I work just fine. I might even go so far as saying I enjoy it. I know that I am good at it. I hope my hints help. :) Katie in Australia! I really do feel for graduate nurses - I was one just a few short years ago. I despised my first year out. I was treated awfully by other staff, given incredibly heavy patient loads and for at least the first few months really felt like I didn’t know what I was doing. NOW, a year and a half after my grad programme ended, I finally feel like I’ve found my way through to the other side and while I still get stressed at work - I leave it ALL there and I can sleep and completely disconnect once I leave the ward. Here are a few of my pointers.

1. PLAN! Look thoroughly through your patients charts and on a time planner, write everything down that you have to do. Refer to it constantly and cross things off as you go, and add things as you discover you need to do them like “dressing” and “MSU” that you mightn’t have known at the start of the shift. This will help you stay organised. Be specific, differentiate between meds - oral ABs, IVABs, s/c like clexane, or DDs like oxycontin. Even record every time you need to read the PCA or measure urine or record fluid intake after a meal. And re-read your handover notes so you don’t miss anything.

2. Have sex! This is the one thing that truly distracts you from work - once you get home of course! Whether its with your partner or by yourself, its guaranteed to take your mind off your patients and their illnesses and nasty work people and medications and your sore back and legs. Other good distractions are watching DVDs and having a glass of wine and spending time with your friends and talking about other things aside from work.

3. Take all education opportunities offered. Study days will teach you things you may have forgotten from Uni (or weren’t listening that day), go to inservices whenever they are on, and take home as many self-directed-learning-packages (SDLPs) as possible. It will make things less scary when you need to do them for the first or second or third time. Say yes to doing all new things you’ve never seen or done and get the experience that is going to give you confidence in the future.

4. Reduce your hours. I stared at fulltime (10 eight hour shifts per fortnight) and quickly realised this was too much for me, so I went down to 9 shifts per fortnight, then 8. Now I am working for an agency and do between three and five a week (usually four!). And I only do afternoon shifts, because I know I dislike (greatly!) early mornings. Whenever I used to do morning shifts, I’d sleep really poorly the night before. I’ve figured out what workds for me and that is what I do!

5. Get some counselling if you really need it. I did and it worked a treat. As I said, I now don’t think about work at all when I leave the wards. Its great. I am a person that only a couple of years ago wouldn’t be able to eat because I was too nervous about work, wouldn’t be able to sleep because I was sick thinking about work… Now I work just fine. I might even go so far as saying I enjoy it. I know that I am good at it.

I hope my hints help. :) Katie in Australia!

]]> by: annie http://www.aboutanurse.com/2007/07/on-a-verge-of-a-burn-out.html#comment-71679 Sun, 24 Feb 2008 04:08:18 +0000 http://www.aboutanurse.com/2007/07/on-a-verge-of-a-burn-out.html#comment-71679 i am a novice nurse at ICU in the philippines. thanks for all the infos.. twas very helpful. keep up the good work! =) i am a novice nurse at ICU in the philippines. thanks for all the infos.. twas very helpful. keep up the good work! =)

]]> by: mssmisty http://www.aboutanurse.com/2007/07/on-a-verge-of-a-burn-out.html#comment-63925 Wed, 21 Nov 2007 01:24:49 +0000 http://www.aboutanurse.com/2007/07/on-a-verge-of-a-burn-out.html#comment-63925 I have been a nurse for 20+ years. In Health care since I was 16 years old (I am 51 now) I feel burnt like toast - thinking of quitting my nursing RN job of 20+ years - hardly can get out of bed on mondays- can not wait for fridays. I love my patients - feel guilty about calling in and taking time off because I'll end up hurting the nurse that covers for me or leave my patient hanging until I get back, I work with dvelopmental disabled + psych patients How do you know when to walk away????? Management is aware of my heavy caseload - but seems like they just will keep replacing the nulse instead of fixing the problem I have been a nurse for 20+ years. In Health care since I was 16 years old (I am 51 now) I feel burnt like toast - thinking of quitting my nursing RN job of 20+ years - hardly can get out of bed on mondays- can not wait for fridays. I love my patients - feel guilty about calling in and taking time off because I’ll end up hurting the nurse that covers for me or leave my patient hanging until I get back, I work with dvelopmental disabled + psych patients
How do you know when to walk away????? Management is aware of my heavy caseload - but seems like they just will keep replacing the nulse instead of fixing the problem

]]> by: luclelu http://www.aboutanurse.com/2007/07/on-a-verge-of-a-burn-out.html#comment-58726 Sun, 26 Aug 2007 23:12:41 +0000 http://www.aboutanurse.com/2007/07/on-a-verge-of-a-burn-out.html#comment-58726 I just quit my job as I am totally burnt out. I have been nursing for 10 years and 6 of those years on an oncology floor. I just can't do it anymore. It is better to leave than to stay in this case, I felt I owed it to my patients. I just quit my job as I am totally burnt out. I have been nursing for 10 years and 6 of those years on an oncology floor. I just can’t do it anymore.

It is better to leave than to stay in this case, I felt I owed it to my patients.

]]> by: Nurse Sam http://www.aboutanurse.com/2007/07/on-a-verge-of-a-burn-out.html#comment-57277 Tue, 14 Aug 2007 18:40:30 +0000 http://www.aboutanurse.com/2007/07/on-a-verge-of-a-burn-out.html#comment-57277 I agree, burnout is an issue. The other day I came across a great site that helps nurses manage our career. It includes information about conferences, interview tips, available jobs, traveling, etc. It's definitely worth checking out. www.nursingjobscriticalcare.com/critical-care-nursing-careers/main.aspx I agree, burnout is an issue. The other day I came across a great site that helps nurses manage our career. It includes information about conferences, interview tips, available jobs, traveling, etc. It’s definitely worth checking out.
www.nursingjobscriticalcare.com/critical-care-nursing-careers/main.aspx

]]> by: Brandie http://www.aboutanurse.com/2007/07/on-a-verge-of-a-burn-out.html#comment-56788 Thu, 09 Aug 2007 23:17:18 +0000 http://www.aboutanurse.com/2007/07/on-a-verge-of-a-burn-out.html#comment-56788 All that May has typed is very firm sound advice. I have been a nurse for 11 years & felt BURNT as toast! I was a charge nurse & after a few incidences I felt that it was time for a change. I went to work in an icu....because I had wanted to prove some things to myself & others(to be quite honest)! Now I have been there for 8 months & am more burnt than when I left the floor I was on!! I have considered non nursing jobs...even stoocking at walmart or something...but ya still have to deal with people!! HA! I am still stressed & looking at what I need to do.....honestly I love nnursing & helping people but I think I am getting to old to deal with the pace & demands of the floor nursing. But I have learned in life that if you leave for the wrong reasons then where you go they will still be there.....take a deep breath, be honest with yourself, don't let others & siduations move you but be moved to do what makes you happy & brings the best out in you(i think someone else has said that before on here)! All that May has typed is very firm sound advice. I have been a nurse for 11 years & felt BURNT as toast! I was a charge nurse & after a few incidences I felt that it was time for a change. I went to work in an icu….because I had wanted to prove some things to myself & others(to be quite honest)! Now I have been there for 8 months & am more burnt than when I left the floor I was on!! I have considered non nursing jobs…even stoocking at walmart or something…but ya still have to deal with people!! HA! I am still stressed & looking at what I need to do…..honestly I love nnursing & helping people but I think I am getting to old to deal with the pace & demands of the floor nursing. But I have learned in life that if you leave for the wrong reasons then where you go they will still be there…..take a deep breath, be honest with yourself, don’t let others & siduations move you but be moved to do what makes you happy & brings the best out in you(i think someone else has said that before on here)!

]]> by: Ali http://www.aboutanurse.com/2007/07/on-a-verge-of-a-burn-out.html#comment-56680 Thu, 09 Aug 2007 02:57:13 +0000 http://www.aboutanurse.com/2007/07/on-a-verge-of-a-burn-out.html#comment-56680 Thank you for such a great post. This fits perfectly with what has been going through my mind lately. I'm glad that I'm not alone with this. :) Thank you for such a great post. This fits perfectly with what has been going through my mind lately. I’m glad that I’m not alone with this. :)

]]> by: SeaSpray http://www.aboutanurse.com/2007/07/on-a-verge-of-a-burn-out.html#comment-56069 Sun, 05 Aug 2007 01:44:36 +0000 http://www.aboutanurse.com/2007/07/on-a-verge-of-a-burn-out.html#comment-56069 Great post - excellent ideas! :) Great post - excellent ideas! :)

]]> by: Rose http://www.aboutanurse.com/2007/07/on-a-verge-of-a-burn-out.html#comment-55921 Sat, 04 Aug 2007 15:41:44 +0000 http://www.aboutanurse.com/2007/07/on-a-verge-of-a-burn-out.html#comment-55921 Be a humble sponge. Take time out to PRAY, PRAY, PRAY! Be a humble sponge. Take time out to PRAY, PRAY, PRAY!

]]> by: Nick Torrey http://www.aboutanurse.com/2007/07/on-a-verge-of-a-burn-out.html#comment-55730 Sat, 04 Aug 2007 03:06:57 +0000 http://www.aboutanurse.com/2007/07/on-a-verge-of-a-burn-out.html#comment-55730 Hi, I wanted to invite folks to visit the new health care blog on the Obama campaign's website (I'm doing some volunteer work for them). I think the discussion there could really benefit from nurses' perspectives as we try to figure out how to make things work better. http://www.barackobama.com/issues/healthcare/?discussion Thanks, Nick Hi, I wanted to invite folks to visit the new health care blog on the Obama campaign’s website (I’m doing some volunteer work for them). I think the discussion there could really benefit from nurses’ perspectives as we try to figure out how to make things work better.

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/healthcare/?discussion

Thanks,
Nick

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