Ways to Prevent Burning Out as a Nurse

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In the industry of nursing, there are perks as well as unique experiences that are not so beneficial. The stress levels that nurses deal with every minute can be detrimental to not only the nurses, but also other members of the medical industry, and most importantly, the patients.

Different branches of nursing also play a massive role in what types of stress and what hour nurses may or may not be working. Nurses working in hospitals will usually have the most amounts of stress and work the longest hours being on their feet, bending, stooping, stretching, walking and dealing with many emergency situations that may come through the door or in their department. They are usually assigned to work 12 hours or more.

Some might say that Emergency Trauma nurses have the most burnout and stress levels that a nurse can experience. While that may be true, the entire medical field works long, hard hours and deals with many different aspects no matter the branch of the medical field they specialize in.

Avoiding Nurse Burnout is a Matter of Following Protocol

Providing medical teams with support needed, as well as staying within laws and regulations, is pivotal to your success. Patients have their individual rights, as does the medical staff and the hospital or organization of the employer, who pays for the expense. There are advocates in place to ensure that the operation of the hospitals and employees and employers are working together and upholding policies and procedures, at all times. Staying within the rights of every party is important.

Lessening Nurse Burnout as a Nurse

According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, there are ways to prevent burning out as a nurse. Although there have been studies done, there are more to come with changes in technologies and research methods. According to the NCBI, the work environment is not the only factor, but a combination of work and home environment. There are often lifestyle conflicts that play a role in burnout, such as trying to juggle family life and work life, along with stress and fatigue that carry over into work and home.

Support from coworkers and the organization has been proven to play a large role in lessening stress and nurse burnout. Structural empowerment provides opportunity, information, support, resources and power to the employees. Psychological empowerment provides them with meaning, confidence, autonomy and impact. Many nurses also are found to work 12-hour rotating shifts, which can be in conflict with their home lives, and juggling many responsibilities. This can also lead to sleep deprivation and emotional distress and can lead to absenteeism and turnover. For this, separating one’s self from the job during days off is a matter of survival.

Nurses are exposed to physical labor, human suffering, long work hours, interpersonal relationships and the constant use and changing of technology. Nurse burnout, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment need to be reversed by specific practices. These include providing support, showing respect, and building a safe and professional environment.