You’re comforting the elderly woman who was just informed her husband’s cancer prognosis is poor, while a young man who recently overdosed taps you on the shoulder and insists the only thing that can cure his migraine is Dilaudid. In the background, you hear a confused patient yelling for the commode, while his bed alarm starts ringing. Suddenly, you realize you haven’t gone to the bathroom since clocking in six hours prior. Of course you haven’t eaten either, but that’s standard issue. While you run to catch your confused patient (and manage to snag a cookie from the reception desk), you catch a glimpse of your assessment documentation that was thrown aside at the start of your shift when a patient lost all bowel control and you were called in to assist with care and clean up.
You’re utterly overwhelmed by the chaos surrounding you. You’re being pulled in multiple directions, feeling as if nothing you do makes a difference. Finally, with a big sigh, you decide it’s better to numb out and not care. When your shift wraps up, you don’t have the time or mental capacity to handle your overly dramatic brother’s phone calls, make the romantic dinner you promised your partner, or research furthering your education. You drive home in a fog, unable to make heads or tails of the day, feeling akin to the zombies you used to love watching on The Walking Dead.
Does any of this sound familiar? Does all of this sound familiar? Welcome to the world of burnout.
Burnout refers to a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress (Smith, Segal, & Segal, 2014). Based on this definition, it seems nurses will inevitably experience burnout at some point in their career. Research shows the secondary trauma nurses face on a regular basis impacts them greatly, with 49% of RNs under age 30 and 40% of RNs over age 30 stating they have high levels of stress and feelings of burnout (Grove, 2006). The statistics become even more daunting when examining RNs in oncology, hospice, and ICU settings.
What are the symptoms of burnout?
– Anger and irritability
– Avoidance of patients, family members, and friends
– Unstable relationships
– Compromised patient care
– Fatigue and exhaustion
– Insomnia
– Headaches
– A compromised immune system
– Using food, drugs, or alcohol to cope
– Depression
– Reduced ability to feel sympathy and empathy
– Feelings of resentment
When you feel yourself experiencing burn out, what can you do?
The first step in recovering from burnout is acknowledging the signs and symptoms you are experiencing. Burnout is detrimental for both you and the patients you serve. Pushing through these feelings will only result in further mental and physical damage.
Here are some tips if you feel yourself burning out:
1. Re-vamp your lifestyle: Change your diet, exercise patterns, and sleep habits. Swap the cake in the break room for fruit, try a new exercise class, engage in 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week, and try to get eight hours of sleep every night.
2. Simplify your life: Take a break from social events, learn to say no to requests, and don’t overextend yourself. Slow down and cut back on your commitments. Give yourself time to focus on you.
3. Indulge in spirituality: Start each day with meditation, prayer, or a special ritual. One study found nurses who perceive themselves to be religious experience less burnout (Kash, 2000).
4. Drop the electronics: You don’t need to like every Facebook status, unlock level 141 in Candy Crush, or respond to every email within a half hour of receiving it. Take the time to disconnect from technology for a few minutes each day.
5. Seek support: Reach out to fellow co-workers, friends, family, or a counselor to help cope. No nurse can withstand a career’s worth of losses and hardships alone.
6. Be the change agent: If you aren’t happy with your work environment, change it! Develop a standardized report sheet, start a morning check in with your coworkers, or talk to your manager about setting 30 minute lunch breaks for everyone on your unit.
7. Engage yourself: Whether you enjoy scrapbooking or cooking, become involved in a hobby you love. Start a knitting project, join a book club, or volunteer at your local animal shelter. Devote time to yourself and the things that are important to you.
Remember, recovering from burnout is not easy; it’s a process and it takes time. In high stress fields, it is essential to practice self-care regularly to try and mitigate feelings of burnout. In severe cases, simple strategies may not be enough to recuperate from burnout. If this occurs, it may be helpful to think about why you originally chose your career path and re-evaluate the goals you have set in your career. Self-reflection may help you discover a new field of nursing you want to specialize in, a certification you want to earn, or may even prompt a change in careers.