Five Practices For Nurses To Beat Stress At Work!

Nursing is a noble profession and those in this field are nothing short of superheroes. Whether your job involves taking care of the sick and ailing in the General Ward, assisting the surgeon in the OT, or attending to a critically injured patient in the ICU, long hours, heavy workload, physically demanding tasks, and emergencies – all these may put you in a stressful situation at work. In due course, burn-out and stress can affect your physical and mental health, even career.

Here are a few tips on how to beat stress on the job for all those nurses out there–

• Get to the root of the problem - Identifying the root cause of stress can help you overcome it. Even though certain aspects of nursing (e.g. – compassion fatigue, workload etc.) are potentially stressful to all, there are other aspects unique to the individual (e.g. – work-life balance, conflict with colleagues etc.). The source of stress may also vary from one speciality to another. For instance, paediatric nurses have to deal with the stressful situation related to the vulnerability of age of younger patients while nurses in the emergency department are under continuous pressure owing to their fast-paced work environment. Therefore recognizing the various types of stress on the job is crucial to cope with the situation.

• Take short breaks - Nurses often have to work overtime to attend to patients in the event of an emergency. No matter how tight your schedule may be, give yourself a break amid all the chaos. Taking short breaks in between work not only reduces stress, but also offers a host of benefits – increased productivity, creativity, and more time to reflect on how to go about through the rest of the day. So, whenever possible, go for a short walk and take a breather.

• Look after yourself - Nurses are known to work with dedication and compassion towards their patients. But when work stress bleeds over into your personal life, you may soon lose your sense of self. As a result, you may end up ignoring your health and well-being. The best way to deal with this is a little self-care. Listen to your body – eat right, exercise daily, get adequate sleep, and pamper yourself. Practising self-care is a great and effective way to deal with the ongoing stress at work.

• Eat a healthy meal - The burn-out and stress of nursing job affect your physical health more than you realize. Working a night shift or for 10-12 hours daily, continuously being on your feet, doing the rounds and looking after the patients – all these amounts to immense physical strain. Therefore, you must eat a healthy meal to keep your body fit and in good health.

• Stay organized - Staying organized at the workplace allows you easy access to nursing equipment and tools needed to complete the tasks effectively. Prepare a checklist of all the tasks that need to be attended on priority and on time through the day. That way, you can take stay prepared for the day and take control of the situation better when things go a little out of hands.

Apart from following these easy tips to manage stress at work, nurses should also practice certain relaxation techniques, such as yoga and meditation regularly to relieve mental stress and rejuvenate the mind and body. Nurses are the backbone of the healthcare system, and if their health fails, the entire system would fall. Therefore, they must take good care of themselves, just as they do for the patients.