Speed Freaks and Serene Souls

[garciadiego]

I work in LTC, hence the large patient load and the consequent rushing around to get it all done, to get it all done in some instances to avoid the ******** from the oncoming nurse because she may have to follow up on some issues that could not be completed, which is a big differnce from having to rush and move quickly because there is a emergency happening on the unit....personally I work better, more intelligently when I'm not stressed. I admire those few nurses at work who are calm, smart and relatively happy as opposed to those who are pressured, prone to error and miserable......I wonder how those serene nurses are able to get their jobs done without all the hurry and scurry? How do they maintain this Buddha like nature all day? They have something I want.

[Nola009]

By nature, I'm calm. Actually, I've only been like this since adulthood. My childhood was full of mother standing over me, criticizing my every move and admonishing me for any and every mistake. During my teen years, I couldn't handle this well. I was feisty and still am. It's just that at some point I stopped taking almost anything personally. I learned that a lot of issues people have are more to do with THEM than YOU. I always do my own personal best, and don't give a crap what others think or say, unless there is CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. Then, I will gladly listen and take any neeeded steps to improve. I say- just do your best. Practice and constant self-evaluation will increase you efficiency and confidence, which should decrease your stress!

[HappyWife77, BSN, RN]

I meditate on Philippians 4:13. I write everything down, cross it off as I go, keep it moving, don't small talk with other employees(when it's extremely busy that is) .....address orders and faxes as soon as I see them, i make a running list of meds that need reordered and do everyones at the same time at the end of med pass when ive seen everyones supplies, do more than one thing on every trip (for instance kill 3 birds with one stone instead of running back and forth three times), don't let piles develop.....pick up your baseball bat and knock it outta the park! Whoopwhoop!

Oh yeah and I love to laugh and remember all the things in life that I am blessed with.

[LTCNS, LPN]

Over the years I have learned that the more I rush, the more mistakes I make

HappyWife summed it up nicely :)

[garciadiego]

Thank you Nola, I hope to develope those qualities I admire in you.

[garciadiego]

As as I get my hands on the new testament I will see what Philipians has to say, thanks HappyWife, gratitude is always good, I try to tell myself I'm happy I have a job during stressful times.

[garciadiego]

"the more I rush, the more mistakes I make"...wii be my morning meditation as I contemplate Jesus on the Cross, thanks LTCNS.

[HappyWife77, BSN, RN]

Philippians 4:13 says

I can do ALL things thru Christ, which strengthens me.

[morte, LPN, LVN]

haste makes waste, the hurrieder I go, the behinder I get.....

concentrate, and filter out the blather.

[misstrinad]

I stopped feeling so stressed when I finally realized all I can do is my best and that every single thing will not get done every day. I still move like there's fire at my heels bc it's the only way to get things done....but I don't feel like the fire is there.

[Jillybean48]

Organization, preparation, experience, routine, delegation, prioritization. Everyday unexpected occurrences are bound to come up, but there is still a routine to follow. Personally, I have a clipboard and I write things down all day that I need to chart later, with what time they occurred. That is for the things that can wait until the end of my shift to be charted. And then you have admissions, discharges, falls, etc. in the middle of all your usual stuff.... you just prioritize... for instance if an admission comes in at the same time I have to pass meds, I would introduce myself to the patient and family, make them comfortable and answer any questions, obtain a quick set of vital signs, then pass my meds. After that I would would return to complete the admission. It's imperative that you have a good supportive team that works with you. If you can't trust your team to do their jobs without your constant supervision it makes it tough to delegate effectively. I show my CNA's that I am "part" of their team by doing what I can to help them as time allows, such as transferring patients, emptying bedpans, answering call lights, etc. when I have time... also I don't ask them to do anything for me that I can do for myself unless I'm busy.... for example if I need a set of vitals on someone and I'm not doing anything else at the moment I can go do that, but if I'm doing something else I will say, "Mary, can you please get a set of vitals on Mrs. Smith, I need them for this incident report but I'm in the middle of passing meds right now." I always thank them and at the end of the shift I thank everybody for all of their hard work. Don't get me wrong, I am far from a push over and if I find that someone is not doing their job then they are taken aside and we have a verbal warning. It has never gone past that in my 16 years. Because I have a team I can trust to take good care of a hall, I can relax. I don't know if my rant went off in the wrong direction but this is how I do it and it seems to work well for me. I'm 40 years old and I rather enjoy it the crazier it gets. I always get all of my work done, I never forget anything because I jot down those little notes on my clipboard all day and before I leave I check to make sure I have everything on that clipboard done. I'm willing to bet that the nurses that you refer to as relatively calm and serene, like myself, have always been the type of people to make lists because that is what I do; I'm kind of curious about that actually.