Stress Questions

[joe134]

hey everyone. Im looking in to becoming a nurse and ive got some questiongs regarding stress. Ive been reading a lot of horror stories about the strees of being a nurse and how easily nurses get burned out. I understand there is a tendancy to give to many patients to a nurse, or the hours can be hard, but can someone please elaborate.What are some of the average hours/shifts you guys work? I imagine there are certain postions/wards/parts of the hospital that are more stressfull then others, can anyone shine some light. Right now im an electrican, the works hard and dangerous and id like to be able to move around the country,The nurseing path seems like a good one for what i want in life. Ive spoken to some nurses who love their jobs and make good money. Im just trying to look at this from all angles. thanks

[tracey2705]

There are definitely jobs with less stress and better hours. Like working in a doctor's office (pay is much less). But it also depends on what you personally find stressful. I like a fast pace so I'm stressed on a unit where there isn't a lot of hands on care to do.

Many people work 12 hour shifts (7 am to 7 pm or 7pm to 7 am), a total of 7 in two weeks for fulltime. There are variations.

Also, tho stress levels and work schedules are important considerations, you also should learn more about the nature of nursing and if you're cut out for it. It isn't just a job. Good Luck.

[fergus51]

I work 12 hour shifts (sometimes 16s), 3 nights a week. I work NICU. The most stressful situations include parents who are out of control, babies who are dying, docs or co-workers who are difficult and situations that I personally find morally wrong are incredibly draining. There are also a lot of dangers in nursing. Many, many nurses suffer injuries on the job thanks to the heavy lifting in particular, but there are other issues too. I worked in Toronto during the SARS outbreak that cost 2 nurses their lives. We deal with a lot of nasty diseases.