Stress in Nursing

Ms.RN · May 8, 2005

what is the most stressful about nursing job is nurses not nurturing each other but nurses eating their own young, and nurses backstabbing each other.

callnurse45 · May 8, 2005

what is the most stressful about nursing job is nurses not nurturing each other but nurses eating their own young, and nurses backstabbing each other.

that aspect of nursing is probably the most disappointing, nurses backstabbing each other. it was one of the first lessons i learned after graduating from nursing school. that was one aspect of reality that was not taught, nor discussed. i found this to be more of a reality when i relocated from new york city to north carolina. in nyc, nurses had the nurses union, who was very supportive of nurses and nursing issues. we could actually challenge overstaffing via our "protest forms", and once enough of them were filed with the union, the problem would be addressed formally. in nc, union is a "bad" word. there was stress, but there was also a sense of comraderie between us nurses, despite the day-to-day petty conflicts that arose.

crmdy423x · May 9, 2005

Hi everyone....I am doing a powerpoint on Nursing Stress today and would love to open this website in class. I would like to take an informal poll on what you think causes the most stress in your work environment and what nursing specialties you think generate the most stress. Thanks....

The thing that stresses us most is there's always a great chance that someone will be frozen in. These nurses have to get there kids on the bus or relieve there husbands so they also can go to work. Then they are mandated and then there husbands have to call out of work. We are sometimes staffing another unit and not necessarily helping our own. It is unfair and they shouldn't be allowed to do it. What do you think. O we have a union and the more senior nurses say they have been fighting this battle for years. All the new nurses are mandated or floated so much they are now leaving. Help.

UM Review RN, ASN, RN · May 9, 2005

The biggest stressor in any nurse's life, IMHO, is fear. We nurses are born into a culture of fear. Fear of making an error, fear of hurting a patient. The consequences to the patient as well as the penalties to us and our families, can be awful.

So bear in mind that every day, every shift, deep down inside, nurses are fearful of making the mistake that will end a patient's life or ruin our own.

I see the marks of fear on every nurse's face that I work with, every day. We not only have to manage our own errors, but we are also responsible for the doctors', the pharmacist's, the CNA's, the Unit Secretary's mistakes. We might not be fully responsible, but every nurse realizes that she is the one most likely to be scapegoated. No other job in the hospital carries as many life-or-death decisions as the nurse's, yet we are underpaid, we have no autonomy, and our decisions carry very little or no weight at all in management issues--yet patients are in the hospital to get NURSING care.

Stressors:

1. High patient acuity with inadequate staff, which causes:

a. Delays in treatment to the patients.

b. Missed medications or medication errors.

c. Physical exhaustion for the nurse who cannot take a lunch or

bathroom break due to patient needs.

d. Misunderstandings with management and family that when a nurse sits, she's "not doing anything." Therefore, workplace design is such that ergonomically, the nurse cannot rest.

e. By the same token, nurses have a difficult time getting days off that they've earned and workplaces will bully nurses into coming to work when they are too ill to practice safely.

2. Workplace culture that permits docs, family members, patients and other nurses to mistreat nurses.

3. No competent nursing leadership at the national level, which sustains a culture of victimization and powerlessness among nurses.

4. Mandatory overtime.

OK. Off the soapbox.

And thanks for asking. I feel a little better now. :stone

SmilingBluEyes · May 9, 2005

The paperwork that increases and increases each and every year, eroding the amount and quality of time spent at the bedside with my patients. They keep adding it on, but don't add staff to cope. It's really become a very contentious and painful issue for me.

Temperamental, immature and rude physicians with whom I have to argue at night to come in and evaluate a patient. I am NOT calling to "bug" or anger them, but to get them on board when there is trouble. I am tired of having to justify myself and listen to them rant about it. I have written these situations up and again and again, to no avail. Nothing changes. Everyday is Doctors' Day----only one week, Nurses' week. Want to make my Nurses' Week? Get these doctors to TOW THE LINE and DO their job----rather than fight and attempt to make me small for doing MINE!

Make nightshift liveable. Quit making meetings only day-friendly---quit trying to make nightshifters go to classes in the middle of the day or for hours after a 12 hour shift. This is very stressful and unfair. I can't wait for my turn on days. Also some food at night would be nice. We work too---and need food. I am tired of microwaving and re-microwaving my own food (due to constant interruptions) and taking an hour or two to actually get it eaten! I would like ready-made food I can eat quickly---and the show of support having it around at night would mean a lot to me.

These are my main stressors. Some may say it's whining. Ok, whatever you call it. It is what bugs me most.

SmilingBluEyes · May 9, 2005

The biggest stressor in any nurse's life, IMHO, is fear. We nurses are born into a culture of fear. Fear of making an error, fear of hurting a patient. The consequences to the patient as well as the penalties to us and our families, can be awful.
So bear in mind that every day, every shift, deep down inside, nurses are fearful of making the mistake that will end a patient's life or ruin our own.
I see the marks of fear on every nurse's face that I work with, every day. We not only have to manage our own errors, but we are also responsible for the doctors', the pharmacist's, the CNA's, the Unit Secretary's mistakes. We might not be fully responsible, but every nurse realizes that she is the one most likely to be scapegoated. No other job in the hospital carries as many life-or-death decisions as the nurse's, yet we are underpaid, we have no autonomy, and our decisions carry very little or no weight at all in management issues--yet patients are in the hospital to get NURSING care.
Stressors:
1. High patient acuity with inadequate staff, which causes:
a. Delays in treatment to the patients.
b. Missed medications or medication errors.
c. Physical exhaustion for the nurse who cannot take a lunch or
bathroom break due to patient needs.
d. Misunderstandings with management and family that when a nurse sits, she's "not doing anything." Therefore, workplace design is such that ergonomically, the nurse cannot rest.
e. By the same token, nurses have a difficult time getting days off that they've earned and workplaces will bully nurses into coming to work when they are too ill to practice safely.
2. Workplace culture that permits docs, family members, patients and other nurses to mistreat nurses.
3. No competent nursing leadership at the national level, which sustains a culture of victimization and powerlessness among nurses.
4. Mandatory overtime.
OK. Off the soapbox.
And thanks for asking. I feel a little better now. :stone

well stated from that soapbox. I would have to say, many probably agree 100%!

TechieNurse · May 9, 2005

I think all the specific examples of stress given previously, boil down to one thing...nurses trying to be all things to all people.

The type of person that goes into nursing is, imo, a 'helper' type.

They like to help people; patients, families, staff, visitors etc.).

They derive satisfaction from it, they do it naturally; in their homelife and at work.

Stress occurs when there are too many demands on this type of person.

Nurses will tell you that nothing provides greater professional satisfaction than helping a patient/family through a difficult time.

And, I think, nothing provides greater stress than not being able to do that kind of thing due to the multitude of examples given previously (staffing ratios, paperwork etc.)

:twocents:

wrkoutgirl · May 10, 2005

Nursing stress - being responsible for everything! Doctor's orders, lab, radiology, any procedures, dietary, secretary, phys. therapy, anything that has anything to do with the patient ultimately comes down to the nurse and if the doc or any of the other departments make an error, the nurse is usually the one having to deal in some way. Also, being pulled in so many different directions and frequently being unable to take care of one problem while several others occur. And, finishing the shift wondering if you did this or that.....lack of accomplishment, lack of feeling like a job well done as there is always more to do....

Oh my God! You stole my thougths :idea: I agree with every single word. It is frustrating. I love my pts and I wish I can fix everything for them. I hate the fact that I have watch after all those people above mentioned and also depend on them and their performance. Then go home exausted and frustrated wishing I had done more than i did.

Alicia18 · May 10, 2005

The stress nearly killed me when I started working as a CNA 7 months ago. It was my third day of working PERIOD (I was 17, which was why I had NO working experience) and I ended up hating myself when it got really busy, and I couldn't keep up with everything. I expected myself to be just perfect, and I ended up feeling overwhelmed and inadequate. I only made the situation worse by bursting into tears over my inadequacies. I left for home feeling stupid and like the worst CNA on earth. My coworker told me the next night that she was positive that I wouldn't be coming back. The only thing that got me through it was my determination that NOTHING would drive me away from what I wanted to do. My particular brand of stubborness has kept me at the same place 7 months now, doing all the things I found so intimidating before, and sticking to what I wanted to do in spite of another coworker making me feel like I was an idiot. I hate saying "I CAN'T" -- no one, not even me, will make me give up on my chosen career path! :rolleyes:

So now that you've heard my life story , I might as well condense this to get to my point. As difficult as work load can get, I can handle that; I actually thrive on that right now. What's difficult for me is feeling like I can't help, working with other CNAs who don't treat me like an equal (not happening any more, thank goodness, our one problem CNA has greatly improved), and not having the time to just talk to a patient who just needs someone to talk to. I can handle being hit and screamed at by and Alzheimer's patient, or call-belled ten million times, it is personality conflicts with coworkers and my own high standards that really hurt me.

I'm sure this is the same for most people, though! :rolleyes:

UM Review RN, ASN, RN · May 10, 2005

The only thing that got me through it was my determination that NOTHING would drive me away from what I wanted to do. My particular brand of stubborness has kept me at the same place 7 months now, doing all the things I found so intimidating before, and sticking to what I wanted to do in spite of another coworker making me feel like I was an idiot. I hate saying "I CAN'T" -- no one, not even me, will make me give up on my chosen career path!

:yeah: :yeahthat:

I know it's OT, but I just have to say it: I really admire you for sticking it out!

Alicia18 · May 10, 2005

OT continues, for a sec: Thankyou, Angie! :)

Back OT, I guess there's always those shifts when you come home feeling like you could happily murder someone! :chuckle Thank goodness I haven't had TOO many of THOSE! :rolleyes:

grimmy, RN · May 11, 2005

poor (or no) management, unsupportive support staff, residents that are condescending megalomaniacs, attendings that overbook the or, and whine when there isn't enough staff for their second or...but for me, the worst stress is high-acuity heart-defect/burns/ecmo/nicu babies coming to the or. yes, there are 2-3 doctors, and 1-2 nurses in the room, and sometimes its all we can do to keep that baby together.