burnout

Nurses General Nursing

Published

i have been a hospital based rn for 30+ years. i've seen a lotof changes and have kept up with it. until recently. a combination of events put me over the edge. i walked into my nurse manager's office and said, i'm freaking, and i need some serious time off. the new computer documentation, plus the staff cutting due to the hospital fiancial difficulties have overloaded my brain and resulted in burnout,compassion fatigue,post traumatic stess syndrome. basic depression. i've sat on the couch petting my cat for nearly three months. therapy has helped some,but i'm facing the massive decission to let them post my position(telemetry,med-surg,vents.supersick and totally unable to even feed themselves,mostly incontient):cry:. they will not even tell me what other positions are avaiable until i present a note that i can totally return. scared and unsure. this is like a war. even people on our own side fight us, intimadate us,threaten us, and i'm fed up with that kind of negative enviorment. suggestions..i'm 55 years old, and really can't leave the area due to family connections. HELP:banghead:

Specializes in med-surg,tele,vents.

dearalwayslearnin. thanks for the support. trying to get it together as best as possible. Always hopeful.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

i've been burned out a time or two (or three or four or five). fortunately, my burnout has always responded to a change in shift or (rarely) a change in position. i can sympathize with you, though. after over 30 years of nursing i'm just about over it. times have changed. patients have become "clients" and "nursing" has changed to "customer service." i'm giving in 5 more years until my dh is 62, then we're selling everything we own and going to sea in our 37 foot sailboat.

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...times have changed. patients have become "clients" and "nursing" has changed to "customer service." i'm giving in 5 more years until my dh is 62, then we're selling everything we own and going to sea in our 37 foot sailboat.

wow, what a wonderful thing to look forward to! a few years ago one of my clients (not the patient kind, lol, i think that is ridiculous too) had the same plans made, now i get email and pics from her from different parts of "the warm waters" as she says. they go diving, and have found some neat stuff too!

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Sadly, though, how many nurses will leave to "set sail" so to speak, leaving healthcare in an even worse condition? It's so scary to think about. Gets worse everyday.

The other night, one of our nurses was "congratulated" for taking 6 patients "without a complaint." I was like, Oh, brother -- I can see it coming -- an increase in load that we are not to complain about, coupled with more increases in paperwork and less help.

What on God's earth do these people think we are? Robots? Pack mules? I mean -- nurses are HUMAN for God's sake!!!! Enduring unhuman demands. It's all just such a crock. I HATE this customer service emphasis. I think it's the biggest joke. Soon this country will be left with no nurses, and I guess a bunch of immigrant nurses who aren't going to care -- what a future.

Ugh.

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Specializes in med-surg,tele,vents.

sounds like a plan. Stay sane and good luck

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Specializes in med-surg,tele,vents.
Sadly, though, how many nurses will leave to "set sail" so to speak, leaving healthcare in an even worse condition? It's so scary to think about. Gets worse everyday.

The other night, one of our nurses was "congratulated" for taking 6 patients "without a complaint." I was like, Oh, brother -- I can see it coming -- an increase in load that we are not to complain about, coupled with more increases in paperwork and less help.

What on God's earth do these people think we are? Robots? Pack mules? I mean -- nurses are HUMAN for God's sake!!!! Enduring unhuman demands. It's all just such a crock. I HATE this customer service emphasis. I think it's the biggest joke. Soon this country will be left with no nurses, and I guess a bunch of immigrant nurses who aren't going to care -- what a future.

Ugh.

we've been increased to 9-11 patients on a vent-tele unit. superhuman we are not, and of course we have to make the patients and families happy. we must know all and be able to accurately predict the future. nutz

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i love this website each day i log in i get hope, inspiration and most of all a 'shoulder to cry on'. I am just taking a few days off and then i go back to work with a new attitude knowing that just about every nurse have had a burnout in their career span.

Thanks To You All For the Support.

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Specializes in med-surg,tele,vents.

take your breaks. don't allow yourself to become dehydrated. coffee doesn't help. good luck

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