How do you do it

[sweetnurse63, BSN, RN]

First of all I would like to say that I congratulate hospital nurses that have been at the bed side for 5, 10 or more years. If I was a billionare, I would give every nurse a bonus of appreciation for what you do. I only have a year of hospital experience in orthopedic/med surge as a RN, the rest of my experience is mostly LTC. I love interacting with my patients and making them smile,but there were times that I just felt overwhelmed, especially when we worked short. All of the days were not stressful and the good days along with days off helped me to cope, also, most importantly prayer that God would cover me, my patients and my license. So, now I am in need of employment and I am thinking about signing up with an agency that mostly have hospital work available. I believe I can do it but I still have some reservations. So many nurses stay at the bedside in the hospital for years and I say to myself,"I wish I could be like them". I know that I am a good nurse, but I sometimes display a lack of confidence and it is noticable at times. I am in my forties and I really want to find my niche, some people have suggested hospice because of my personality and soft voice, All I know is that I want to make a difference in someones life, I know that nursing can be stressful, but also it can be rewarding. Please share with me how some of you keep from being burned out or give some suggestions. Thanks:)

[ErinS, BSN, RN]

Hospice is a great field, but I think the idea of the 'soft-spoken, gentle' hospice nurse leads to lots of hospice nurse burnout. I work in hospice and it is a tough job and it takes a tough person with the ability to set solid boundaries and not get too attached most of the time. I have patients I really bond too, but the few nurses I have seen that were gentle and soft spoken were eaten up by this job in less than a year. I am not always confident, but the key is to act like you are. It may help you to practice in a mirror, with your family. I think if you know how to act confident about what you do know, and act confident when you need to ask for help, you can hang in there. Confidence comes with experience also. Good luck, hope you find something you love!

[highlandlass1592, BSN, RN]

First of all I would like to say that I congratulate hospital nurses that have been at the bed side for 5, 10 or more years. If I was a billionare, I would give every nurse a bonus of appreciation for what you do. I only have a year of hospital experience in orthopedic/med surge as a RN, the rest of my experience is mostly LTC. I love interacting with my patients and making them smile,but there were times that I just felt overwhelmed, especially when we worked short. All of the days were not stressful and the good days along with days off helped me to cope, also, most importantly prayer that God would cover me, my patients and my license. So, now I am in need of employment and I am thinking about signing up with an agency that mostly have hospital work available. I believe I can do it but I still have some reservations. So many nurses stay at the bedside in the hospital for years and I say to myself,"I wish I could be like them". I know that I am a good nurse, but I sometimes display a lack of confidence and it is noticable at times. I am in my forties and I really want to find my niche, some people have suggested hospice because of my personality and soft voice, All I know is that I want to make a difference in someones life, I know that nursing can be stressful, but also it can be rewarding. Please share with me how some of you keep from being burned out or give some suggestions. Thanks:)

Well, it seems to me agency for a short time might be a great blessing for you. It will give you the ability to see different types of nursing in local hospitals and can give you an idea of what the environment is like on those units without having to make a full time commitment and finding out later you made a mistake. It was how I found out my niche, I was a travel nurse for over 4 years and loved it.

You know, there is an important aspect of nursing that I have always found necessary: you must APPEAR confident, even if you aren't. If your patients sense you aren't confident, they will pick up on it and it may cause them more stress, which can lead to more stress for you. I am always confident when I walk in a room, even if I don't know the answer as to what's happening. I am always honest with my patients, sharing with them my experiences and that I will do my best to help them through these challenging times. I have had more than one patient comment how much it meant to them to hear those words, knowing that I was working hard to try to see they got the best care possible. It's all about how you present yourself.

I think you may find that nursing is such a broad field, you have tons of options, many you may never have considered. Working inpatient at a hospital isn't the only type of nursing around and those who don't work at the bedside but practice other types of nursing are just as valuable as I am. Whether they are school nurses, community health nurses, clinic nurses, OSHA nurses, the list goes on and on. You will find your niche if you are open to any experiences that come your way, don't close yourself off. Temporary employment is one great way to see "the nursing world". Take full advantage of it. Good luck to you.

[sweetnurse63, BSN, RN]

Thank you ErinS and Highlandlass, you two sound like great nurses and I thank you both for your words of encouragement and great advice, you all are right, I need to work on my confidence even when I am around more experienced nurses, it is so good to learn from them.