Various ways to alleviate nurse burnout
Nursing is a rewarding career,
and nurses fi gure to be in high
demand in the coming decades.
As fulfi lling as nursing can be,
nurses routinely confront issues
that other professionals may never
encounter. Nurses are in high-demand,
but a shortage of openings
in nursing schools in recent years
has led to a widening gap between
the demand for skilled nurses and
the supply, according to the nursing
support resource Nursing.org. As a
result, many nurses are taking on
more work than they can handle.
Couple this with the inherently demanding
nature of nursing, and
it’s not surprising that nurses may
experience fatigue, mental exhaustion
and doubts about the value of
their work.
Holli Blazey, MSN, ANP-BC, the
Nursing Program Coordinator for
Employee Wellness at the Cleveland
Clinic, says burnout is “a big
problem nationally for all kinds of
caregivers, whether you work in
an ICU or an ambulatory setting.”
Long hours, rotating shifts and the
stress of caring for ill patients are
other factors that can contribute to
nurse burnout. Many times nurses
muddle through and do not even
Caribbean L 34 ife, MAY 7-13, 2021
realize burnout is occurring. However,
if anxiety, exhaustion or the
desire to skip work is cropping up
more frequently, nurses should not
hesitate to take action. The following
are some ways nurses can cope
with burnout.
• Identify your stressors. Write
down the things that are stressing
you out. Pinpointing circumstances
that are causing you to
feel overwhelmed is the fi rst step
in addressing them. Try tracking
responsibilities for a few days and
write down feelings after each activity.
Then try to identify which
are the biggest sources of your
stress. Communicate your fi ndings
with a supervisor or colleague who
may offer advice or work with you
to confront your stress in a positive
way.
• Don’t make new commitments.
It’s tempting to want to get involved
in new projects, especially if job
dissatisfaction has you looking for
fulfi llment elsewhere. But overextending
yourself even further may
only add to your existing stress.
• Practice relaxation exercises.
Engage in slow and meaningful
breathing, set aside even a few
moments to sit in quiet and take
a break, and think about how you
can approach the situation in a
healthy way instead of giving in to
your anxiety.
• Delegate when possible. Find
out which tasks can be taken off of
your to-do list. Is there something
a patient care nursing assistant
can do at work? Can you rely on a
friend or family member to help
out at home? Lighten your load to
give yourself time to recuperate.
• Join a support network. Many
employers offer employee assistance
programs, such as access to a
professional therapist. Connecting
with other colleagues also can be a
great way to build up your support
network.
These tips can help nurses fi nd
the relief they need when burnout
starts to set in. More resources can
be found at www.nursing.org.
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/www.nursing.org
/Nursing.org
/www.nursing.org
