What did you do when you got burnt out?

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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?

An interesting question would be why do some nurses not burn out? What makes them resilient?

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Specializes in peds, allergy-asthma, ob/gyn office.

I left floor nursing. Too many evenings of being slammed with admissions, people (Peds) returning from OR, all short a nurse/aide/unit clerk.... or all of the above. One night I had both an ampho drip on frequent vitals (and no aide) while a 10 y.o. on a PCA had her respirations drop.... I felt I could not watch over these kids properly. One night one of my favorite "healthy" CF teens in for a tune up had some major hemoptysis and went for embolization...oh and he was in kidney failure too from abx. I had a nausea-inducing moment of anxiety for him while I was at his bedside. Had to leave the room. That was my sign to leave. Went to allergy clinic nursing. While it was not stress-free it was MUCH, MUCH better... only occasional moments of terror lol. I would never work in a hospital again. I am unfortunately, due to my toxic work environment, very burned out in my OB/gyn clinic position.

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And you didn't invite us?

That would have defeated the purpose. I was a pretty young Nurse back then I was afraid of being eaten :-)

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Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
hppy, Viva and QuiltDog and anyone else who really went through it, wow, I know this is an anonymous board, but you still put it out there to us. It's hard to do. I'm honored. Truly. And SO glad you are doing better.

Thanks - I try to use my experience to show others that nothing is so bad that's it worth killing yourself over. I still suffer from anxiety sometimes but I just remember to take a deep breath and say This too shall pass.

Hppy

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Yes, but wont it be same stuff , different view?

I guess one has to decide what PART of nursing is burning us out.

another straw on the camels back for me was having 1 tech/aide on day shift for 28 acute care pts for the last 2 12 hour shifts,

80 percent bed alarms, and still having to do customer service, not being able to say why it took me so long to get to their call light.

Do you know how stupid you look when someone asks "why didnt you answer my light sooner, are you short staffed?" and you not being allowed to say anything.

"Of course we're not short staffed,I was with another pt" nope not really lying, but not telling the whole truth either.

Running around with your head cut off and catering to customer service, preventing falls, and hoping you don't make a med mistake, have someone bleed out,get bedsores, etc maybe is a little stressful. But I imagine its the same way everywhere now, with cutting of staff to unsafe levels.

I work oncology so emotionally it would be a change of pace too. Plus some of my coworkers are sooo exhausting so a change of pace, change in thinking would be a breath of fresh air

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I wonder if RN'S who do case management get burnt out just as much as floor nurses.

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I met with my bosses and we were taking about the different generations and how they differ in terms of job expectations. Our parents tended to put their head down and just work. My dad had to work 60+ hrs every week years on end and I don't remember terms such as burn out, that's just what it took to make ends meet.

i think the term burn out might be over used in the cases of just tired of working or bored with work. Burn out to me would apply more to bedside nursing which is physically and mentally exhausting along with compassion fatigue that wouldn't apply to such jobs as case mgmt.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Emergency, CEN.

I am struggling with burnout right now. We had a great team on nights and suddenly 75% graduated with their NPs and left. We struggled for a long time while new orientees were emergently trained and it seems that the NM just hired anyone who applied without caring if they were competent or not.

Several of them have been there longer than a year and still don't know how to draw blood or use our computer system. They will attempt to place Foley catheters in the middle of mega codes.

The rest are two faced to their coworkers and out and out mean to their patients. Calling them needy, etc when they are just plain scared.

Even the mid levels are feeling it and are all drifting to day shift or taking up per diem jobs elsewhere.

I love where I work and what I do. I have always thought I would be there for 25+ years, but I've found myself "just looking" at other openings in the hospital more and more frequently over the last 6 months.

Ideally, The new people will settle down and I will stay a night nurse in the ER forever. Less than ideal would be a shift change. I would feel awful if it came to changing depts. or hospitals.

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

Self-Care.

I make my bed every day. I keep my apartment presentable. I iron my nursing uniform. I eat three meals a day. I light candles and drink hot tea after work. I go to a fitness class every day I'm off. I am learning another language. I write in my journal. I regularly see family and friends. I date. I wear makeup to work, even if it's just a smidgen, and an accessory that I love. I keep my resume updated. I keep an regular eye on my retirement, student loans, and other financial matters. I decorate my apartment for holidays. I watch my favorite TV shows on cozy nights in. I do guided meditations. I aimlessly walk around my beautiful city in wonder and awe. I read my kindle in the park. I take vitamins. I get regular pedicures and an occasional facial/massage.

This is a sample of what self-care looks like to me. We are all different.

If I feel balanced and nurtured, I can deal with work stress 3 days a week.

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Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN.

I do make my bed every day. My house has no ants or cockroaches, but there is a lot of dust. I try to keep ahead of the clutter. I don't iron anything at all. I eat at least two meals a day, or eat one meal and graze a lot. I am dismal about doing exercises, even simple stretching. I speak English well. The only thing I 'write' is emails. I see my husband a lot because we live in the same house :), and I speak with my sister by phone every couple of months. I don't do makeup or accessories. I have no resume. I am going to be 66 this month and have no savings or retirement funds other than SocSec. which thankfully pays the mortgage and utilities, Medicare/supplement, insurances, etc. I watch TV, old movies help me relax. Don't meditate, but I do have a concentration method that puts me out like a light once I am in bed. I don't sleep enough, though. I am pretty aimless about myself and have been for a while now. I get my nails done every 2-4 wks.

I have flunked Self-Care 101. *sigh*:dead:

Mystory, I USED TO do almost all the things in your post....when I was single, and have declined my 'efforts' (if you can call them that) in self-care more since depression and menopause kicked in. But I am figuring that that has gone on long enough. I am being treated, fairly successfully, by my doc and meds. I had been working multiple and varied shifts and OT; anytime it came up, I said yes (for the $$), which I suddenly realized was exhausting me. D'OH! Just recently (1 wk ago) decreased my work hours to 24/wk in an effort to decompress and start taking myself into consideration for a change.

I know what I need to do, but my 'follow-up' thus far has been severely lacking. I am really hoping that I can work myself back into my own life. I'm overdue for a blossoming/renewal.

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Specializes in Med/Surg.
I do make my bed every day. My house has no ants or cockroaches, but there is a lot of dust. I try to keep ahead of the clutter. I don't iron anything at all. I eat at least two meals a day, or eat one meal and graze a lot. I am dismal about doing exercises, even simple stretching. I speak English well. The only thing I 'write' is emails. I see my husband a lot because we live in the same house :), and I speak with my sister by phone every couple of months. I don't do makeup or accessories. I have no resume. I am going to be 66 this month and have no savings or retirement funds other than SocSec. which thankfully pays the mortgage and utilities, Medicare/supplement, insurances, etc. I watch TV, old movies help me relax. Don't meditate, but I do have a concentration method that puts me out like a light once I am in bed. I don't sleep enough, though. I am pretty aimless about myself and have been for a while now. I get my nails done every 2-4 wks.

I have flunked Self-Care 101. *sigh*:dead:

Mystory, I USED TO do almost all the things in your post....when I was single, and have declined my 'efforts' (if you can call them that) in self-care more since depression and menopause kicked in. But I am figuring that that has gone on long enough. I am being treated, fairly successfully, by my doc and meds. I had been working multiple and varied shifts and OT; anytime it came up, I said yes (for the $$), which I suddenly realized was exhausting me. D'OH! Just recently (1 wk ago) decreased my work hours to 24/wk in an effort to decompress and start taking myself into consideration for a change.

I know what I need to do, but my 'follow-up' thus far has been severely lacking. I am really hoping that I can work myself back into my own life. I'm overdue for a blossoming/renewal.

Yep, this conscious self-care is really a treatment plan to keep depression at bay, which was debilitating for me once upon a time. I try to do at least one thing that supports wellness at the level of body, mind, and spirit a day. I know it sounds cheesy but I keep a journal and it works.

My follow-up ebbs and flows..we are all under construction. Best of luck to you and your blossoming!

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Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN.
Yep, this conscious self-care is really a treatment plan to keep depression at bay, which was debilitating for me once upon a time. I try to do at least one thing that supports wellness at the level of body, mind, and spirit a day. I know it sounds cheesy but I keep a journal and it works.

My follow-up ebbs and flows..we are all under construction. Best of luck to you and your blossoming!

That idea of one-thing-a-day appeals to me! Thanks!

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