What is your quote or mantra when it gets tough?

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I am in search of a short quote or mantra that I can attach to my work clipboard that can remind me of why I am doing what I'm doing when it gets tough. I'm a new nurse and I tend to get overwhelmed when everything happens at once (it always seems to happen at once). It seems that a stat EKG is needed on one patient, someone else needs prn pain meds, another is SOB, and I'm getting an admission all within a five minute span. It is during these stressful situations that I question my judgment and worry that I'm not providing my patients with the best possible care. What mantras or quotes do you say to yourself to calm down, instill confidence, and remind yourself that you are not a super human no matter how much you wish you were? Thanks in advance for your help!

Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

"I did sixteen hours on pitocin without an epidural. This is four hours less- AND I get paid!"

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"I did sixteen hours on pitocin without an epidural. This is four hours less- AND I get paid!"

This. A million times this.

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Specializes in Critical care.

Any 6 four letter words I can string together quickly

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Specializes in Anesthesia, ICU, PCU.

When it's not "I dreamed a dream" from Les Mis depressingly looping in my brain overnight, I'm telling myself that "there is some good in this world, and it's worth fighting for."

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Specializes in retired LTC.
Mine is from the serenity prayer- "serenity to accept the things I cannot change to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference"
God grant me 'the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, and Wisdom to know the difference'.

I've trimmed the Serenity Prayer to "Serenity, Courage and Wisdom" as my mantra.

My favorite attribute is WISDOM.

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Specializes in Primary Care.

When I had a particularly rough day, the way I keep myself from going getting totally despondent is by telling myself "Nobody died today. I did a good job." If I happen to have the next day off, I just count down the hours to the end of my shift :)

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