How do YOU keep sane?

Nurses General Nursing

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Okay, we've won the genetic lottery that lets us be just SO good at solving other people's problems. We work insane hours, the work is so emotional draining that we often bring home emotional homework that so often is left undone. So many nurses I know are on antidepressants or have a terrible home life -- many are divorced.

Tell me how YOU keep it together.:confused:

hmmmm,,,, I dont know if I can legally respond to this thread as for I recently started a thread entiltled "I snapped".

heh heeh...oh well!

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Specializes in CV-ICU.

I have a natuarlly optimistic outlook on life and I don't know where I got it from, but I don't fight it. :)

I LOVE my job, and I am involved in the broader world of nursing outside of my hospital (MNA and AACN, and am a CCRN). I socialize with nurses mostlly in groups where we can let our hair down and tell our horror stories and cry and laugh together--laughter IS the best medicine, but sometimes dumping on people wh have been ther is also necessary. And I hang out on the best BB for nurses also! :D

I have a life outside of nursing also (although allnurses.com HAS cut into my voracious reading habits): I read, visit with friends, am politically active, volunteer, do calligraphy, enjoy history and museums, do some gardening (until I see bees, then I head indoors as my allergic reaction scared the gardening right out of me last year!).

I have a very supportive hubby and 2 (wild- or is it lovely?-- depends on the day) ADHD kids who are young adults now and don't "need" me so much anymore, and a family (both his and mine) that keeps me busy/laughing/worrying about them.

I also take life as one day at a time; that's how it happens, so I don't try to live in either the past or the future!

It works for me 99% of the time.

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Mental health days, faithful pets and Zoloft are my saviours.

Also, keeping your sense of humour while you're at work is a good idea too.

Try these out when you're short of a laugh at work:

Tell your post-op TKR patient that the docs made a mistake and gave him an orchidectomy instead.

Give bowel-obsessed pt who hasn't moved their bowels for a day an extra double strength Shaw's cocktail and pretend to be concerned when he/she complains of diarrhoea.

Tell all your patients that you've just been released from a mental institution so they'd better be nice or else!

Paint a clown face on a post-op patient and tell the family "it's ok, it's just a side effect from the anaesthetic!"

Dress "goth" style for Valentine's day and mutter under your breath about mixing the holidays up when people comment on your appearance.

Swap beds on patients reluctant to mobilise so when they come out of the shower, they have to do a lap of the ward anyway.

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Specializes in Med-Surg Nursing.

What do I do to stay sane? Well, I am not on any of the above mentioned anti-depressant medications. I take Zyrtec and Flonase for my allergies. I don't drink. The hubby doesn't quite get what exactly I deal with at work on a regular basis. I work nights and he had the audacity to say to me one day. "all you do is sit around all night reading magazines as the patients are all sleeping" Yeah right! As if! Nights is when the patients get really whacky!

Really though, I am a nursing junkie and love reading everything I can on the subject. I come to allnurses.com and find that all of you help to keep me sane! That and chocolate!

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Specializes in Everything except surgery.

I'm divorced, but not as a result of nursing. That said, I also have been depressed from time to time, but haven't felt the need for medication or washing it away with beverages. I do believe each person does what they need to...to survive in this profession.

I...like many..... have seen so much...that sometimes it does take it's toll...no matter how much I try to insulate myself from it. I have cried so many times at the horrors that have unfortunately crossed my path, and the meanness of one human being to another, than I care to remember.

But I believe my faith in God, my family, and those I chose to call my friends are my saving grace:). There are times, that I have become deathly ill at the thought of going back to work, after withnessing some truly gruesome stuff..:o! But I just talk to the Lord, and ask Him to change my heart, and give me the will to continue. It never seems to fails that when I surrender the situation to him, for me it makes all the difference in the world.

Coming here to allnurses.com...I find compassion, and the chance to assist others....and even get into some really heated...ummm debates...yeah that's what I'll call them. :chuckle. But seriously... when we take our mind off self...and discover everyone has their own crosses to bear. it makes things we may think are huge mountains, into small mole hills.

The other way I cope is to change! Whenever I think I'm taking life just a little bit too seriously, I change my direction. Being an agency nurse has kept me in this profession, much longer than I would have been ...if I wouldn't have been able to do it!:cool:

I also like to go out to a driving range, and whack the heck out of those balls...or a bowling alley, and roll that ball until I can't even put up the ball. GREAT therapy!

One thing most of us have learned ...is how to roll with the punches...sometimes literally...:chuckle Life is a series of twist and turns, and we either bend with them, or we break..:o!

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That assumes a lot...like, that I am at all sane. Seriously though, I usually like to do something very monotonous and time consuming when I am about to go ballistic. It helps me, every now and then, to be focused on one small thing and let the tension just wash itself away because it is IGNORED. I don't know how healthy it is, per se, but I started doing it as a kid in an attempt to not be put on meds (long, boring story...but it worked). The nice thing about it is, I can do this at work (restocking the med cart, checking the crash cart, etc.) and I feel a lot calmer afterwards. I think maybe that is what officially qualifies me as a DORK. :specs:

Indeed.

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So Indeed,

Can I ask you just one thing?

Whats that avatar?

I don't get it.

-Russell

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Arh ok. But before I tell you, I must declare one thing. Today is now declared DORK DAY!!! So all you geeks in the house, raise your fists and holler!!!

Ahem. Anyway, the avatar is from Neil Gaiman's comic book "Sandman." It is Dream of the Endless, Morpheus, Oneiros, Kai'ckul, Lord of Dreams...all of the above. It's an excellent comic but before I start going off about it, I guess just anyone PM me if you want to know more or if you dig it. :specs:

Yours nerdingly,

Indeed.

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Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.

Howdy yall

from deep in the heart of texas

I play GOLF, lots of GOLF

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To keep sane????? lol not exactly sure,, about sane,,,,,,,,,, Love my job,,,,,, love the patient care,,,,,, staffing,,,,families,,, another story,,,,, Paxil,,,,,,,,, a year ago,,,,, saved my life,,,,,,, well maybe put off a stroke for while ,,,,,, my two 'girls',,, my dogs lol and a wonderful husband,,,,,,,, swim every day,,,,, and though i'm the D.O.N. at least one weekend a month I have one of my charge nurses cover for me,,,,,,,,, just 48 hours of the phone not ringing,,,,, is a blessing,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Few margaritas during that weekend also,,,, helps lol,,,,,,,,,,

of course being here at all nurses,,,, keeps me aware,,,,it could be worse !!!!!!! lol

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You want to know what I do? I have taken up learning how to kinit! It is very relaxing. I even made a scarf. Okay, it was a little crooked, but hey, I did it. I am learning how to make dishclothes now. If anyone needs the pattern, just ask. Gilda

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I am totally insane and I don't recommend it! I am a student nurse and an LPN and the wife and mother bit. All I can tell you is that I struggle with this as well. I just took a final exam and did well.But now i am out of school until August and I'm still very jumpy and feel I should be studying something! Good luck if you find an answer!

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