Stress....?

swee2000 · Nov 23, 2007

First of all, as an FYI, it's going to be a while before you'll have a 3-day work week in the nursing world, considering you haven't started nursing school yet.

Secondly, and I mean this in the most sincere way, make sure you know what you're getting yourself into and that it's for the right reasons. Nursing is not a walk in the park by any stretch of the imagination. It can be very mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausting and many people have entered the profession only to be caught off-guard by some of these unforseen & unexpected pressures that go along with being a nurse. By the sounds of your post, money & job security are your primary focus....which is fine. However, I would think having a strong(er) desire for working with the sick &/or dying, and caring for them at their worst and most vulnerable time of their lives, would take precedance. Maybe you do feel this way and it's just not coming across like that or I'm not seeing it. But nothing irks me more than hearing about people who entered nursing school blinded by the $$$ they hoped to earn, began their nursing profession and then got a dose of reality, ultimately deciding the $$ wasn't worth it and nursing wasn't for them after all.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Nov 23, 2007

I handle try to handle the stress by the usual stress reduction techniques: diet, exercise, hobbies, talking to others (espeically my Allnurses friends), prayer, etc. etc. etc. We have to learn how to take care of ourselves.

I agree and disagree with the poster above. You really have to like people and working with people to survive the stress. Most of us do. Very few people who go into nursing ONLY (please note I said ONLY) for the money and benefits survive. Most of us go into nursing for multiple reasons: we like helping people, we like science and medicine and we're looking for a stable career that pays well and has benefits. There is nothing wrong with that. Ask any college freshmen what their major is, they are going to mention pay and the job market as one of the reasons they are considering what they are considering. There's money threads throughout the forum on this topic, some of them quite long. But we're not peace corp workers doing charity work, we have bills, mortgages and families to feed.

It's perfectly acceptable to list those reasons you have as advantages of getting into the profession. Personally, if there weren't some rewards for me financially and otherwise, the stress wouldn't be worth it. Some stressful tiring days, that's all I have. However most days my spirit is nourished by being there for people when they need someone the most, when they are at their worst. You have to have that compassionate edge to be a good nurse in my opinion. Most of us do.

Here's one of those threads I was talking about. https://allnurses.com/forums/f8/ethics-does-bother-you-when-people-nursing-make-money-262680.html

I think there are indeed some areas that are less stressful than others, doctor's offices come to mind (but those jobs are hard to get for new grads, and they typically don't pay well.) I think you'll find a niche when your in school clinicals you'll find an area you like.

I think it's great you are looking at this from all angles.

TonyFl · Nov 23, 2007

thanks swee...i appreciate the comments. yes...money and security are factors (in every field) but you bought up another very important point. i do have compassion for the sick and dying. my mother is getting up there and its tough to see that .

so the question (being clarified)....how do you "emotionally" handle the fact that your job revolves around on a daily-hourly basis for "caring for the sick and dying?'

sounds like you need to be very strong emotionally and spiritually. and....it also sounds like you need to "distance" yourself from the outcome. i guess you do the best you can...with the skills and tools given...and then the rest is in god's hands!

first of all, as an fyi, it's going to be a while before you'll have a 3-day work week in the nursing world, considering you haven't started nursing school yet.
.

TonyFl · Nov 23, 2007

thanks very much for that article reference tweety! it really shed some light on things.

here's a quote from that post "many wish to view nursing as a profession. i don't believe it's there yet, and this is but one aspect that is keeping us down, imo. do you see other professions castigating their members for wanting to make a good living? for demanding they be adequately paid for their services? questioning their motives for entering the profession?"

me: ...i am not the martyr type....nor am i a missionary. i want to help people and make good living. i was wondering if i could do it in nursing.

i handle try to handle the stress by the usual stress reduction techniques: diet, exercise, hobbies, talking to others (espeically my allnurses friends), prayer, etc. etc. etc. we have to learn how to take care of ourselves....i think it's great you are looking at this from all angles.

llg, PhD, RN · Nov 23, 2007

The stresses of working with the sick, injured, an dying never bothered me as much as it does some people. Perhaps it is because I am a country doctor's daughter and grew up in a household in which "taking care of the patients" was simply a natural part of daily life. The fact that some of their stories are sad is not something I was shielded from as a child.

The stress for me has always been in the politics and relationships that being a nurse entails. In health care, we work in generally small, enclosed areas -- and need to work closely as a team with other people who may not be handling things the way we would like them to. People get irritiable, people make poor decisions, people don't always treat us well, etc. etc. etc.

Also, many people show little respect or consideration for nurses. They look at us as just another cog in the health care machine, not as people and professionals whose opinions, needs, and wants should be honored. It often seems that nursing is the profession that is supposed to adapt to the needs of all the other disciplines -- and those other disciplines rarely change their practice to accommodate our needs. In the short run, that lack of consideration can be be a real shock for those who come from other professions. Sometimes, they start to hate nursing (and nurses) because of that lack of consideration -- blaming nurses for putting up with it. Even those of us who can see the more complex view of our interdisciplinary and interpersonal relationships get worn down by it as we endure it for many years. That's where I find myself these days after 30 years in nursing, mostly spent in leadership roles.

How do I personally handle the stress?

I continually seek greater understanding of the world around me and strive to not give in to the temptation to take the easy way out intellectually by simply blaming the individuals I work with for the stress and leaving it at that. I try to understand and I try to make the world a better place ... bit by bit ... day by day.

I also seek to stay "fresh" in my career by continually growing and taking on new challenges. That measn changing jobs now and then -- but I don't just make lateral moves that will give me the same set of problems as my old job. I seek new challenges that allow me to grow and that give me new things to focus on. That helps keep me from getting too burned out. It helps me to think I am "moving forward" and on my way to something better rather than to think that I am going to be facing the same stresses for the rest of my career.

Of course, it is also important to make friends in your work environment so that you have people to laugh with who understand your stress ... and to get plenty of rest and relaxation ... and to eat well, get exercise, etc.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

TonyFl · Nov 23, 2007

Thank you llg,

Your comments suggest that co-workers and management create more stress issues than patients...and i appreciate that incite.

The stress for me has always been in the politics and relationships that being a nurse entails. In health care, we work in generally small, enclosed areas -- and need to work closely as a team with other people who may not be handling things the way we would like them to. People get irritiable, people make poor decisions, people don't always treat us well, etc. etc. etc.
Also, many people show little respect or consideration for nurses.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Nov 23, 2007

Actually, I have a 2 day work week (two 16 hour shifts on Saturday and Sunday, with Monday through Friday off in a row).

To deal with the stress, I exercise on my days off. Aerobic exercise and weight-lifting have been so beneficial in my quest to relieve workplace stress. In addition, I try to not take things personally. I always try to convince myself that the day will turn out to be good, and I always ask, "What's the worst that could happen?"

Since I am single with no children, I don't have a family of my own as a support system. Therefore, I must devise unique ways of relieving stress. Many of my coworkers, on the other hand, have spouses that they can vent to.

Also, http://www.Allnurses.com helps to relieve my stress!

Tweety, BSN, RN · Nov 23, 2007

ME: ...i am not the Martyr Type....nor am i a missionary. I want to help people and make good living. I was wondering if i could do it in nursing.

Yes, you can absolutely do that in nursing.

No shame in wanting to make the best paycheck you can, while fitting in with your goal of helping people.

Nursing can provide job security and a reasonable MIDDLE income. You're not going to get rich, but it's not bad either. I live alone in a house I own, drive a car I own, save 10% in a 401K and stash a little cash away for a rainy day, and have reasonable health care benefits (that aren't free), and take a couple of vacations twice a year. My salary has risen over $20 per hour from my starting salary 16 years ago. It's not a lavish lifestyle by any means, but certainly not a bad one either.