Where Can a Nurse Turn When Stressed?

nurses have said that most of the day. Long hours, short staffing, high acuity, piles of paperwork, less quality time with patients and the continuing change and uncertainty in the health care system creates a recipe for high stress and burnout. Would not you agree? So where do you turn when you are stressed?

If you're like most nurses do not have time to think about himself or stress. You are intelligent, strong, capable and too busy taking care of everyone. You can handle, deal with it. You are picked up by the bootstraps and keep going on. This works -. During the

Unfortunately, stress takes its toll on you physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally, whether you choose to admit it or not. All too often nurses participate in the same unhealthy escape mechanisms of our patients -. Smoking, eating fast food, sugar, 'caffeine, alcohol, over the counter and prescription medications

Our own wellness becomes a top priority, while the consequences of prolonged stress occurring -. Pain, anxiety, depression, chronic illness, chemical dependency and addiction

Nurses are usually the first to know that they are all desperate and vulnerable to these effects. But where can you turn? You are one with all the answers for everyone else. Who can trust her to help out?

One of the pitfalls we face as nurses that we know better. This was my first self-judgment when I lay on the couch with a cover over my head one day. My body would not move. I wanted to disappear for three months and start anew. Have you ever felt this way?

At the time I taught stress-management. I thought everything was under control. I did not see how unrealistic and unmanageable my life had become.

is used for everything works perfectly by itself, I felt isolated and did not know who to believe they would understand and be in a better position to help me. Sound familiar?

So where do you turn when you need help and everyone else is depending on you? How about another nurse? Someone who understands the unique pressures you face and has the wisdom and compassion to support you, without a trial.

Unfortunately, we have a dominant culture that it is generally critical and unsupportive. Taking anger, frustration and stress on one another is a symptom of oppressed group behavior. When the sister suffering and vulnerable, a common reaction is to criticize and isolation, we are tempted to look in the mirror of our own vulnerability.

We need to change kulturu.Struka loses too much experience, quality nurses to the consequences of high stress. Are you ready for change?

a new paradigm of leadership for nurse support in the making. Nurse support groups are forming across the United States. There are discussions in progress for more formalized and holistic care program to support nurses to wellness, stress relief and dependency / addiction recovery.

Contact your state nurses association or board of nursing to find a support group near you. If you can not find a group, talk with trusted colleagues and explore how you can begin the process of mutual support.

In these challenging times of change, everyone needs a caring sister sometimes, especially nurses.

© Aila Accad, RN, MSN