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Discussion

Leaving Work at Work

I am a new grad and really do love my job, but maybe a little bit too much. I have been working for a little over 4 months and it is getting harder and harder for me to leave work at work. I work on a highly acute pediatric floor and on my days off, I find I am wondering how my patients are doing and if they are okay. I rehash over and over in my head things I should have done differently the day before, things I wish I had time to do but did not, and I worry about my patients who are chronically ill. I rarely take breaks at work because I find myself worrying about my patients, I'd much rather just eat at the nursing station and do paperwork at the same time. The funny thing is that when I am actually at work I never feel bothered by anything, it is when I get home and have time to sit down and think that I begin to feel upset. On my days off, I find myself thinking so much about work that I wish I was there. Everyone tells me that I am going to get burnt out if I continue the way I am going, and it is probably true. I know other people have posted similar things before, but I am really struggling with this. I worry that if I get to the point where I can really leave work at work, I will no longer be warm and compassionate to my patients. How do you leave work at work without losing your compassion? Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Featured Replies

So true and this is something extremely difficult to teach new nurses. I try and tell them I understand that you want everything to be on time and in the real world we would float like florence nightengale to the bedside and cure world hunger and end war and be miracle workers...as nurses we try our best, use our resources and keep our chin up..the world is not perfect!

You will always have this. I wonder re many of my patients on my days off. It shows you care.

Writing a journal each day helps, as it unloads your mind, then you can read back re what has happened and process it that way. It's natural for your mind to go over and over events, for your mind to make sense of it.

Even doing things like yoga & pilates helps you stay strong, focussed and not worry so much re everything else. Do walking, gymwork, take the dog out to a park (if u have one, or get a pet), catch up with friends for a coffee. Do not just make work your life - you will become old quick, very stressed & disillusioned b4 ur time like me.

Just don't make work & nursing your whole life - like I did - cos it won't all work out in the end.

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