Managing stress during shift

brandy1017, ASN, RN · Oct 18, 2011

If you ask you'll probably find many nurses are taking meds for depression and anxiety! Talk to your doctor and see if that would help. You are not alone in your stress and frustration. I've felt that way many times and wanted to just walk out at times it is so stressful and frustrating!

I just count the hours down and remind myself soon I'll be home. I don't work extra for any reason and if I'm sick I call in, I'm not a molly martyr type of person.

I write down on my planner when I had a good shift to remind myself there not all bad. Also I take elavil for migraines which helps me sleep and helps me feel calmer and melatonin as well for sleep.

If your that upset pounding the table, its better to just leave the floor and take a break. I know you need a break but feel like you can't leave and yet when your so stressed out you can't function anyway!

Spend time with friends and family and enjoyable hobbies on your days off. Get out in the sun and take a walk or bike, it helps relieve stress and the sun and the exercise gives you feel good endorphin ie the runners high.

jrbl77, RN · Oct 19, 2011

:nurse:Good response from Brandy1017. I agree with what she has to say. It is sad that nurses need to take meds to function, but is true. I only work my scheduled shifts and try not to think about the job when I am away from it. I have a 25 min drive home and it does let me destress somewhat. It seems that my co workers don't have the same stress levels that I do, but I know what I expect from myself and what others expect from themselves aren't the same. I have not been able to lower my standards of care and don't think that I will.

SwimNurseRun · Oct 19, 2011

I can definitely empathize with you, charlie8025. I work on a telelmetry floor with 5-6 patients and find myself stressed out many of my shifts. It is especially hard worrying about coming back the next day after a long hard shift. Something that I do to help myself relax is take a minute to seperate myself from the floor, go to the locker room or bathroom and take some deep breaths. When I come back I make a list on a post-it of all of my rooms and what needs to be done for each of them at that time. After comparing all of them I prioritize the most important needs and start checking items off the list. If I need help I call the charge nurse.

Sometimes it seems hard to take 5 minutes away to do that, but it will make the time following much more productive and less stressful.

taclobanon · Oct 19, 2011

Have you heard of heartmath? (heartmath.com) The hospital I worked for has offered free class sessions to its staff, on how to de-stress by quick coherence. This might be something that your hospital need to look into. It benefits not just you as the nurse, but also the patients that you care for, and of course the hospital too. When you are not stressed out, you think clearly, you are more creative, make better decisions and your productivity goes up.

I worked on an oncology floor, lots of very sick people, some terminal that there's not much you can do... very emotionally draining. Heartmath has helped me a lot by refocusing my emotions away from the stress and anxiety.

Also, when everything is chaotic and you seemed cornered, STOP whatever your doing. Take a moment, close your eyes for a minute of two, refocus yourself by doing some deep breathing and guided imagery. Give it a try, hopefully it will work for you. And on days you don't work, enjoy life, don't think about the stress at work. Spend time on something to love to do... unwind yourself.

bunmitope · Oct 19, 2011

I do feel your pain and empathyze with you because I'm going through the same. I also work in med/surg/ped unit, with a maximum of 8pts per nurse sometimes; and I've seen myself hyperventilating d/t stress of the job. There were couple of times I actually experienced CP!! I don't know how long I can go on like this!! I'm in the process of applying for transfer to another unit,Telemetry; hopefully the patient to nurse ratio will be manageable and the stress will be under control. You might want to consider a unit transfer, if all non pharmacological interventions fail. Good luck with your decison.

Guest372004 · Oct 19, 2011

This is a stressful job. Yes, sometimes it is a "good" shift but most often it is not. The best advice is to remember that unless someone is coding......go into a quiet spot, even if it is the bathroom. As long as you are there, take a pee, because you do not know when you will get a chance in the next few hours. Then, turn the light off (we have single bathrooms), stand there (who wants to sit on a toilet without a lid?), take a few breaths. We have a managers office that has a door so I just pop in there, close the door, turn off the lights, sit down and take 2 minutes. It really helps.

brandy1017, ASN, RN · Oct 19, 2011

Also maybe read some books about anger management. In men, anger can be a sign of depression, although this job will push everybody's buttons, some have more of a struggle than others.

We had a nurse recently fired over anger problems, she had been yelling, swearing, even kicking and throwing things for years and gotten away with it. But finally things reached a breaking point and pt complaints, she was hauled off to personnel, sent home early multiple times and suspended. She never took the time to get control of herself. I don't know if she refused to take meds to calm down or didn't get the therapy and anger management she needed, but in the end she was fired.

Don't let that happen to you! If you have issues seek help, whether it be a combination of meds and therapy or a job change. She could have been a good nurse if she could have learned how to control her stress and anger!

The hospital isn't going to change and increase staffing for any of us so we have to find a way to cope, whether it takes meds, therapy, etc or a job change! It's just the way it is and I don't see it getting better in these times of cutbacks!

britgirl · Oct 19, 2011

WOW

Please dont take the pill route,nothings worth that.You have lots of good advice in your replies, try them first.

However it sounds like your unit is not a good place to work,try somewhere else.We all have bad days but they shouldnt be on a regular basis.If nurses and cna"s helped each other more we wouldnt have these bad days,

its all about team work.

We all strive to do our best but remember without the resources its an up hill BATTLE

Good luck in your decision

You are not alone :)

judybsn · Oct 19, 2011

Don't take extra shifts or overtime on a regular basis. Staffing the hospital is NOT your problem. Some places need to hire more staff and stop all the overtime but they won't do it until they have to. Staffing people know where each nurse's weak point is and will use it to make you feel guilty enough to give up your needed time off and come to work. Having good boundaries is an essential skill in order to keep your sanity and to stay in nursing long term! There are plenty of good books out there on that topic.

royhanosn · Oct 19, 2011

when you have a break, get out of the hospital and sniff some cold night air.

or the hospital is not hiring extra staff, which is not your problem. OR get

OUT!!

seek something and quick. stress is anywhere and everywhere, but your body will tell you, to get out.

charlie8025 · Oct 20, 2011

Thank you guys so much for your input. After reading posts on this and other threads, I am doing some deep breathing and trying to take a break when things go nuts. I think one of the biggest things for me is to work on taking care of myself off the job, it should help me go to work less stressed. I want to try to stay on the floor Im on. Not too sure anyplace else where I work is any better. Ya'll are a blessing to have contact with, thanks so much - great ideas!!