I've been hitting the allnurses discussions quite a bit in the last few weeks. Not only do I feel burned out and fed up, but I'm also reading a lot of posts from others feeling the same way. Frustration, anger, depression, stress . . . !!
Is this so common in nursing that it's an occupational hazard?
What is burnout, anyway? What are the symptoms?
How do you know when you've got it?
What do you do about it?
Does changing your job or situation really cure it?
Does nursing need to change in some fundamental way to keep nurses healthy and reasonably happy?
Are managements really to blame? What could they do differently? Where is the breakdown? Can if be fixed or just tolerated?
I'd appreciate your thoughts and experiences on this topic. For those of you who've read some of my posts, I'm out on a medical leave. Nothing physical. Just needing some time to regroup, heal from some major stress and depression, burnout! And, if possible, I'd like to avoid getting back here in a week (or a day) when I return to work. Just thinking about going back to work causes immediate anxiety! What do you do when you feel like this?
