Nurse BurnoutWhat is nurse burnout? Burnout occurs when the physical and emotional stress of nursing gets to be too much. The stress we feel can lead to physical and emotional symptoms and lead to professional dissatisfaction.
Nurse burnout can occur both for nurses as well as students. Nursing can be a very stressful profession. Nurses often work long hours, 12 hours being a fairly normal shift and sometimes 16 hour shifts. Working 3 days per week of 12 hour shifts is the norm, the days are long but 4 days off per week is not a bad thing. Those who work 16 hour shifts are usually by choice.
These long days are filled with many different skills depending on the area you work in, as well as physically and mentally caring for patients and their families. Spending 12 hours on your feet running is draining in itself, doing it every day can get to anyone at times. As nurses there are many times we have to deal with difficult patients or families, difficult doctors, or just have a stressful day with a very sick patient. Everyone needs a break from their work at times to destress and nurses are no exception. We may go into nursing because we care and want to help people but that does not mean we don't need to take a break from it once in a while. Student nurses can experience this stress as well. Student nurses have long hours between attending classes, assignments, studying, clinical hours and the assignments that go along with clinicals. There never seems to be enough time in the day, but you will get through it.
What are the signs?
Physical symptoms can include:
Other symptoms can include:
So what is the good news? There are ways to help avoid or relieve the stress. Have you experienced nurse burnout?
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