Being a nurse is an incredibly rewarding job, but there is absolutely no doubt that it can get quite stressful at times. You’re on your feet all day, you have to care for and deal with lots of people… it’s impossible for you to be relaxed in this field all the time.
If you’re going to be a nurse, stress and feeling overwhelmed definitely come with the territory. You can’t avoid it, but you can definitely find ways to minimize the effects they have on you.
We can help as well. In this article, we’ll be talking about 5 very useful tips that will help you avoid feeling overwhelmed as a nurse (see also ‘How To Cope When You’re Emotionally Overwhelmed?‘).
These tips will help you get through days that seem more stressful than others and they will help prevent you from burning out too quickly. So let’s get started.
What Is Stress In Nursing?
There are multiple factors and causes of stress in nursing. Here are some common causes of stress in this field you’ll encounter:
- Pain
- Physical Labour
- Emotional demands of patients and their families (see also our guide to dealing with difficult family members)
- Job hours
- Shift work
Though there are other causes, these particular ones seem to be the most common. Being a nurse is a very physically and mentally demanding job. You’re on your feet all day and sometimes you have to deal with patients who are going through very serious and traumatic health issues.
While you might think that the long hours won’t have an effect on you, they definitely do have an effect. If you’re working a shift that is longer than 12 hours and you aren’t getting adequate sleep in between, this will catch up with you.
The effects of stress can range from being not too bad to pretty severe. If you are too stressed, you won’t be able to complete your tasks properly and you are likely to miss little details that are quite important. Stress can also heavily impact your empathy levels, which is quite bad for nurses.
Because you deal with patients in a sensitive position, you must have good communication skills and a lot of empathy. If you lose that empathetic nature, it can cause the patients to distress and they can even complain.
Luckily, there are ways you can stop feeling stressed and overwhelmed on the job. So if you are feeling this way at the moment, don’t give up just yet.
5 Tips For New Nurses To Avoid Feeling Overwhelmed
Each of these tips is designed to help you stop feeling overwhelmed and bring your stress levels right down.
While some of them will take a few days to implement, you can be sure that if you use them in your day-to-day life, you are more likely to be able to handle any feelings of stress that come your way. So let’s get started.
1. Pace Yourself
This is an especially important tip for new nurses. When you just start the job, you’ve got a lot of enthusiasm and you just want to get as much done as possible. While this is a fantastic work attitude to have, it does have its drawbacks.
If you move too quickly and try and get as much done as possible, this puts you at a higher risk of burning out, feeling overwhelmed, and getting stressed.
You might look at veteran nurses and wonder why they seem to have so much stamina, but honestly, it’s because they’ve had the time and experience to learn how to pace themselves.
Pacing yourself does not mean you have to work slow either. It just means that you take on what you can actually handle rather than what you think you can handle. Work with what you know and learn what you don’t, but at a pace that doesn’t stress you out.
2. Don’t Take On Extra Shifts
While you might want to make a bit of extra money or you just want to work a bit more, when you are feeling overwhelmed and stressed, this is the quickest way for you to burn out.
It’s only natural as a nurse for you to want to help out some more, but if you are going through a period of stress and feeling overwhelmed, you need to make sure that you are taking care of yourself.
How are you meant to look after others if you aren’t doing so well yourself?
By not taking on these extra shifts, you will have more time to focus on self-care. Self-care is different for everyone as well, so you can spend this extra free time however you want.
Spend some time with family, treat yourself to a spa day, watch some films tucked up in bed, the choice is completely up to you!
3. Go To Work Prepared
One of the biggest causes of stress in anything is being underprepared. When you have to do a job or a task and you haven’t planned it out or you go in without any preparations, it’s the perfect recipe for disaster.
Lots of people think that once they have graduated and have their license, this means they don’t have to study in their field anymore. However, this isn’t true.
Honestly, you will never stop learning, and if you continue to study even when you have your license, it can actually benefit you greatly in the long run.
If you ever have to take on jobs or tasks you don’t fully understand, don’t be afraid to ask for help or do some research on it. It can save you a lot of time and stress.
4. Get The Right Amount Of Sleep
One of the most important parts of being a nurse is getting the right amount of sleep. You will no doubt find yourself working long and tiring shifts, so when you get home, make sure you are spending enough of your free time sleeping.
You might have to change your sleep schedule and sleep during the day, but honestly, if this is what you have to do, just do it.
We need 8 hours of sleep a day in order to function properly and feel rested. As a nurse, you need to be well rested, attentive, and focused in order to do your job properly.
5. Balance Your Work & Personal Life
As a nurse, this can be quite a challenge because a lot of your life is your job. But if you find yourself thinking about work a lot when you’re not there, this will drastically affect your stress levels.
This tip works hand in hand with the extra shifts tip. When you are in your free time, dedicate it to yourself. Your personal life and work life should not overlap each other too much.
You will naturally think about work while you aren’t there, but try not to let it consume you. Your personal life is supposed to be where you destress!
Conclusion
Stress in nursing is incredibly common and in most cases, it’s unavoidable, but that doesn’t mean you can’t reduce the effect it has on you.
These tips are designed to help you feel less overwhelmed and to help you manage your stress levels. Try them for yourself and see how your quality of life improves!