What did you do when you got burnt out?

Galendria · Apr 28, 2015

I agree with RubyVee that exercise can be extremely helpful. I prefer biking to walking, but there's nothing like pounding out the miles and getting endorphins flowing to relieve some of the tension and stress from a bad shift. Also, getting plenty of sleep, eating well in general, and packing lots of quick snacks for shifts can help.

After 17 years in healthcare (I started working as a CNA while still in high school), and almost 11 years as an RN, I've come to several conclusions about nursing. First, being a nurse is still my passion. Yes, some days are really, really hard...but I can't imagine doing anything else. Second, having good co-workers is key, especially in floor nursing where knowing someone has your back makes or breaks days. Third, I only have 1 brain, 2 hands, and 12 hours. I do my very best to take the best care of my patients with those available resources, but in the end I'm only human. Fourth, sometimes successful shifts are measured by nobody dying and nobody crying :) . And finally, when I start to feel stressed out I look at the small things. I try to find some way to make a difference every day. Maybe its just something small like taking 3 minutes to hold a patient's hand and listen to them, or maybe its bigger. But in the end, we as nurses *do* make a difference, and sometimes we just have to dig through the bureaucracy to find our moments of zen.

_Skittles_ · Apr 28, 2015

I have been feeling really burned out lately and am considering going part time at my current hospital and picking up part time at another hospital. So maybe I won't have that feeling of dread going onto my floor 5 times a week.

annabanana2 · Apr 28, 2015

I'm relatively pretty new to nursing but have had another career in a helping profession that was actually fairly similar, and I staved off burnout by going to conferences. I know that's weird, but there's something about being around a really big group of people who are REALLY enthusiastic and excited about my field of work that gets me fired up again. And I have a big thing for research and learning - I feel stagnant if every so often I don't get to dive deep into a subject I find enthralling.

dreamer30 · Apr 28, 2015

Only the nurse who is "burned out" can do anything about the situation, and I'm not sure that, as an outsider, you're in the best position to ascertain whether they are, in fact, burned out. There may be personal issues that you are completely unaware of.
Outsider??? I asked her if she was burned out and she said yes.... but I can also see it in her face. Sorry I didn't go into every juicy detail of our conversation. And im a helper so help. Big part of who I am so this is y I'm asking other nurses feedback. Thank you for your input. Exercise and eating healthy can definitely change your mood. Especially on night shift.

Conqueror+, BSN, RN · Apr 28, 2015

I checked into a hotel and didn't step out of it for two weeks. I existed with only cable, in room massages and room service or take out. I prayed, cried and evaluated my situation. I became a CPR instructor for 2 years after that and then went back to direct patient care.

BeccaznRN, RN · Apr 28, 2015

I never considered myself burned out, but my husband and I packed up everything and took a once-in-a-lifetime overseas assignment. After almost three years of a virtually stress-free job, a normal work schedule, and a boatload of travel, I'm more than ready to head back to the bedside.

A wise social worker told me that everyone in this business needs some form of "mental vacation" at some point in their careers. I couldn't agree more.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Apr 28, 2015

Only the nurse who is "burned out" can do anything about the situation, and I'm not sure that, as an outsider, you're in the best position to ascertain whether they are, in fact, burned out. There may be personal issues that you are completely unaware of.
Outsider??? I asked her if she was burned out and she said yes.... but I can also see it in her face. Sorry I didn't go into every juicy detail of our conversation. And im a helper so help. Big part of who I am so this is y I'm asking other nurses feedback. Thank you for your input. Exercise and eating healthy can definitely change your mood. Especially on night shift.
By "outsider" I meant that you are not actually the person who is presumed to have issues with burnout. The fact that she said "yes" when you asked her if she was burned out may possibly mean that she is, in fact, burned out. It may also mean that she's having personal issues of some sort that she would prefer not to discuss with you.
As far as feedback for dealing with burnout, I believe I offered some valid suggestions.

allnurses Guide · Apr 28, 2015

I work on a pediatric unit as a tech and a lot of the nurses I work with are burnt out. I can see it in there faces. They are looking for a change but don't know what to do because of pay or hours or just scared.
Has anyone ever got burnt out of being on the floor? What did you do? What new nursing area did you take up? Was the pay comparable?

Well a drank a lot took a handful of pills and tried to kill myself! Not a plan I would endorse to anyone. I survived it though and even though I was never drank or drugged on the job I did steal a vial of Benadryl (go figure) and because I ended up on a hospital with suicidal ideation I was identified as an impaired nurse and went through a 5 year alternative program. I emerged a stronger, better, sober mother, wife, daughter, sister and nurse for it.

I worked psych for a while, then home care now back at bedside and working on my BSN. I plan to go into Alternative and complementary nursing practice and consult for the rich and shameless - you know like when Lindsey Lohan needs a sober friend to accompany her to the Oscars!

No Stars In My Eyes · Apr 28, 2015

The two times I bailed out of nursing I was still single and had no mortgage or car payments, so money wasn't the issue.

The first time,I worked several years in a natural history and science museum with injured wildlife, in charge of the 'Animal Room' and some teen volunteers.

The second time, I went back to school at a small college, thinking to expand on my work with wildlife, but after two years there I realized I didn't give a fig about getting a degree. I already had the nursing diploma, so I went back into nursing.

Both instances were more like a fun long-lasting vacation.

dreamer30 · Apr 28, 2015

Well a drank a lot took a handful of pills and tried to kill myself! Not a plan I would endorse to anyone. I survived it though and even though I was never drank or drugged on the job I did steal a vial of Benadryl (go figure) and because I ended up on a hospital with suicidal ideation I was identified as an impaired nurse and went through a 5 year alternative program. I emerged a stronger, better, sober mother, wife, daughter, sister and nurse for it.
I worked psych for a while, then home care now back at bedside and working on my BSN. I plan to go into Alternative and complementary nursing practice and consult for the rich and shameless - you know like when Lindsey Lohan needs a sober friend to accompany her to the Oscars!

Oh wow I wasn't expecting that but I'm happy your doing better!

QuiltDog · Apr 28, 2015

Like some of the previous posters, I ended up with major depression and a psych admission. When I was able to return to work, I worked for an agency who placed me with a hospice. That was my "light bulb" moment. I am still in hospice 10 years later.

littlepeopleRNICU · Apr 28, 2015

I did and moved to the NICU. I have now been in the NICU longer than I was at my last job(where I was burnt out). Now, my shifts are a different kind of stressful sometimes, but I LOVE it, feel more appreciated by families and the medical team, and really get to use the critical thinking skills I wanted to when I chose to go into nursing.