Feeling selfish... stress level on busy med/surg unit

[michigannurse2014]

I have been a nurse for about 2 years, and have worked as a bedside nurse on a busy med/surg unit for the past year and a half. I have great co-workers, management isn't too bad, and most of the doctors I work with are nice too, which I am very grateful for as I know this is not the case for all nurses. My problem is that I am having a hard time managing my stress. It's worth mentioning that I have an anxiety disorder, as well as depression, the latter of which has gotten so much better since I've started taking medication.

I feel like I am constantly being pulled in 10 different directions at any given time. My Spectralink rings constantly. Patient A needs pain medication... Patient B has dementia and is becoming agitated... Patient C's IV may have gone bad and they are a hard stick, also due for IV antibiotics... A NA calls me to say a family member "wants to speak with you right now"... A doctor is at the front desk asking for me... Patient D was just told he is being discharged and wants his discharge instructions right away... Oh, and transport just arrived to take patient E for a CT scan. All during morning med pass.

All of these things are just part of the job and probably an ordinary day for most med/surg nurses. But sometimes I feel so overwhelmed that I panic. On those days when I have 1 or 2 patients who require most of my attention, whether due to their level of acuity or their many needs, and cannot spend the time I want to with my other patients or give them the one-on-one care they deserve, I leave work feeling so dissatisfied with the job I did.

Sometimes I feel selfish for getting so overwhelmed, for wanting just 15 minutes where I can decompress and nobody is in crisis, because meeting these people's needs is literally my job description. I try to take care of my own needs on my days off, and I have hobbies and interests that are important to me. I try to remind myself that nursing is what allows me to pursue these interests. But I have no idea what I am walking into each day when I come to the hospital, whether it will be a good day or absolute misery, and sometimes I have a hard time sleeping at night because of this. Add that to the fact that we are increasingly being instructed by management to practice to Press Ganey, or do whatever it takes to achieve the highest possible patient satisfaction scores.

I guess I'm just looking for some reassurance that I'm not alone. Does anyone else experience this? Does it get better? I do like nursing, and I am proud to say I am a nurse.

[AJJKRN]

I would say that what you are feeling (even without a Hx of anxiety and or depression) is very normal for a Med-Surg nurse even five years in and working in the float pool. You are not alone!

[chi1099]

Omg, so normal for a med-surg floor to have organized chaos going on at most times! I don't know that the constant push & pull decreases but you do get better at handling it the longer you're there.