Y'all probably are going to think I'm insane, but I have to play little mindgames with myself to bear my work environment.
The first one I do is the percentage game. I make sure to note when I'm 25% done my shift, 50% done my shift, 75% done my shift, etc. For some reason, it makes me feel so much better than "I have nine hours left".
In order to deal with terribly rude and nasty patients and family members, I pretend I'm acting in a movie script. I'm the role of a person who is extremely kind and gracious. In this movie, nothing angers me or makes me feel like crap. The better I act like nothing bothers me and remain gracious, the more money I will make for my movie. LMAO.
I know you all definitely think I'm crazy now (and yes, I do have a plan to get out of bedside nursing, hopefully within the next two years) but these tactics really do help me sometimes.