Not good at taking my own advice

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Specializes in New Critical care NP, Critical care, Med-surg, LTC.

I've had many coworkers that complain about being burnt out from picking up shifts and working and I always tell them that the money isn't worth the negative impact to their work/life balance. Yes, we might be short staffed but no one begrudges anyone that doesn't want to work extra on their time off. And I truly mean it when I say it. 

I've been working 50-60 hours a week for months, actually for the better part of 3 1/2 years between work and school. And I've hit the proverbial wall. Awful patient deaths lately, staffing nightmares and a management that seems so out of touch with the realities of what we're facing. Also, my oldest child will leave for college at the end of the Summer, and I'm thinking of all the times I've missed out on because I was working, or sleeping, or doing school stuff.  I'm starting to dread coming to work, and I know that my patient care has probably been less than it should have been at times. I have two more weeks with 50 hours and then we start the next schedule. My assistant manager brought it over to me last week because she didn't see my name on the list for open shifts. I told her it would stay that way. I've done the math and my paychecks will be approximately half of what I've been making, so I'm nervous. We're still super short staffed leaving nurses tripled with ICU patients, mostly COVID, which makes the isolation precautions so much harder when dealing with all the vented patients. I know all the things I've told other people, but I'm still having a hard time sticking to my plan. What am I going to do with the extra time that's more important than providing for my family and supporting my coworkers? I have started exercising more, so I'm trying to focus on my health and maybe cooking better meals for my family. But I'm a worker, it's what I do. I'm always a little lost when I get to the end of the day and I haven't "done" something big enough. 

Anyone ever find it easier to give advice to others than to follow it yourself? 

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3 minutes ago, JBMmom said:

What am I going to do with the extra time that's more important than providing for my family and supporting my coworkers?

Spend time with your dear loved one who will be leaving for college.

You're also making sort of a false dichotomy in your mind about the one upcoming schedule where you aren't pre-planning to work quite as much. There's a big difference between 36 and 60 hours. Plenty of leeway for you decide to pick up a full or partial shift if you really want to. They will ask you every day. So this isn't exactly an all-or-nothing "no turning back" scenario.

Working a little less is something you can safely try with almost zero lasting repercussions.

And, for a bit of armchair psychology: They will get by without you. They will be just fine. Hurts to admit but it's true.

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).

JBMom, empathy to you.

14 minutes ago, JBMmom said:

Anyone ever find it easier to give advice to others than to follow it yourself? 

Nope. I am my own worst critic and I tell others what I would want said to me.

"Every person, all the events of your life are there because you have drawn them there. What you choose to do with them is up to you." -Richard Bach

We make our beds and then we have to sleep in them. Or as Super Chicken said, "You knew the job was dangerous when you took it, Fred".

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Specializes in New Critical care NP, Critical care, Med-surg, LTC.
14 minutes ago, JKL33 said:

Working a little less is something you can safely try with almost zero lasting repercussions.

And, for a bit of armchair psychology: They will get by without you. They will be just fine. Hurts to admit but it's true.

Very true words, thank you for your response. 

I will enjoy the time with my kids, thanks, they still seem to like me even though they're teenagers so I should take advantage of it while it lasts!

10 minutes ago, Davey Do said:

JBMom, empathy to you.

We make our beds and then we have to sleep in them. Or as Super Chicken said, "You knew the job was dangerous when you took it, Fred".

Appreciate the empathy, and the perspective, thank you for your response. 

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