Many people have been talking about making a shift or pivot since COVID hit; I am no different! Many of you know I am a nurse, not currently practicing nursing. With the onset of COVID, it became clear to me that I needed to do something to make a difference. Truth be told, I had some survivor guilt because I was not working in the field. When I suggested I may return to nursing, my family and friends said, “are you CRAZY?!”
Because I felt stressed, I left nursing and did not care for myself while working. I was always the person who said yes to working extra shifts or staying late with a patient at the expense of my health or time with my family. I left myself behind, Giving to everyone else and not practicing self-care, leaving me feeling tired, stressed, and defeated because I could no longer do the job I loved so much.
Why I became a nurse
When I became a nurse in 1985, I wanted to help people heal. My journey with nursing took so many twists and turns, and now I realize nursing is not the same as it was so many years ago, and the opportunities to heal are not there any longer, for the most part, at least the way I wanted it to be for me. I turned to alternative therapies such as Reiki and Aroma Freedom Technique to get back to healing people in a way that feels fulfilling and rewarding again, but it isn’t enough. Now it is time to heal the nurses who, like me, are hurting and help them to love themselves and their jobs again.
2020 and COVID
Flash forward to 2020, and COVID is devastating nurses everywhere. Nurses are exhausted, stressed, and ready to be done! I had this overwhelming urge to help; I wanted to help people lessen stress, form a community for support, and go back to loving what they do again! I have spoken to many nurses under so much stress and uncertainty that they do not feel like they can continue in a job they love.
My self-care
I also learned that I had adrenal fatigue, which I had ignored because, like you, I had other things to do! My functional medicine doctor told me I had to reduce the stress in my life. Less stress, I said?! I was in the middle of a significant home remodel, which had been going on for a year, and I had some family struggles and childhood traumas come to the surface. It was time for me to start paying serious attention to my health and well-being, which meant lessening stress in my life.
Thankfully, this leads to more time in nature with my husband and dog. Resting when my body needed rest (believe it or not, that was the hardest part). Learning to meditate, do reiki at least once a day on myself, and use essential oils to quiet that anxious feeling I feel most of the time.
Helping others
I have partnered with another nurse who has also suffered from burnout and left a job she loved because it was no longer a safe place to work, and the stress of working overtime and being understaffed became too much.
We want to form a community for nurses, a safe place to heal. A place to share nurse humor because, let’s face it, no one understands nurse humor like a nurse! A place to remind you that you are not alone feeling burnout and that there is always hope.
We hope you found this article about Wendy’s burnout story helpful. Do you have a burnout story you would like to tell? Comment below.
If you are a new travel nurse or looking into becoming a travel nurse:
Nurse burnout is on the rise. According to a national nursing engagement survey released in April 2019, 15.6% of nurses reported feelings of burnout. Emergency room nurses were identified as being at a higher risk for burnout, and 20% of ER nurses reported feeling unengaged. Interestingly, 50% of nurses who reported feeling burnout in their current position also reported no immediate plans to leave their organization. Another 41% of nurses reported being “unengaged.”
Tips for surviving nurse burnout
So, with the number going up, many of the members of our Facebook group have reached out and asked for tips on handling or surviving nurse burnout. We have taken some of the top tips and put them into this article to help you with nurse burnout.
Switch Specialties or Floors
If you are getting burned out, you may want to consider changing your specialty or the floor you are on. You may even want to try something other than bedside or floor nursing. It may be that you need a change in “scenery.”
Take a Break
We all need breaks at some point. It doesn’t have to be a vacation; you could take some time off between your travel nurse assignments. You could take the opportunity to go back home and visit family and friends. This option does require having some money saved up, but if you can take a short break, or however long you can afford, it may be just what you need.
Find a Hobby or Do Something for Yourself
Try to occupy your off time with things you enjoy doing. You need to make sure you take time for yourself to do something you enjoy. It doesn’t have to be anything expensive; it just needs to be something you enjoy doing. Selfcare can be something you do for yourself. Get a massage or a pedicure if that is something you are into. As our member said, if you feel burned out, don’t pick up an extra shift; money isn’t worth making the situation worse.
There are many other options to help survive nurse burnout, not every option will work for every person, but if you feel burned out, we hope this list at least gives you a start. These articles have great information and tips if you would like more information on surviving nurse burnout or self-care.
Nurse Burnout is a real and deeply personal topic. The following is a personal account of one travel nurse’s experience in dealing with burnout and rising from the ashes.
“And when all that was left was ashes, she would again clothe herself
in flame, rising from the dust of her past to rekindle the spark of her future.
She was a Phoenix, her own salvation; rebirthed, renewed, resurrected.” —
LaRhonda Toreson
I was burned out. Burnt to a crisp, really. I was bitter, angry, frustrated and tired. My
back hurt, my feet and shoulders hurt; my soul
hurt. It all came to a head when, one
day at work, I suddenly burst into tears, snot and all, crying the ugly cry. It was silly, really, and I was beyond embarrassed. No, I didn’t cry over some tragedy with a
patient, or even over an error. Nope, I
cried over a shower. Seriously, I, a
hardened ER nurse who’d seen the underbelly of society working in an inner city
ER, lost my cookies over the docs kicking me out of their shower. Was this some kind of joke?!
Let me explain. I’d been riding
my bike to work because we only had one car and my husband needed it. Every day I arrived at work, sweaty and
smelling like a billy-goat so I showered in the on-call room in our ER before
my shift. One day, administration locked
me out, saying that shower was for doctors only. It was a small offense, one that would normally
make me angry, but not something I would typically burst into tears over. But I became unhinged. I hid in the bathroom trying to compose
myself. Something was really wrong with
me.
Nurse Burnout: I’d finally reached a breaking point
After that embarrassing episode, I realized that I’d been holding back my feelings for a long time before those floodgates burst open. Nurses don’t have the luxury of dealing with their feelings in real time- there’s work to do! I had carefully put aside the sadness that threatened to overtake me when that baby was born dead to a drug-addled mother; I’d swallowed the anger that flashed inside when a patient called me a stupid bitch; I suppressed the frustration I felt over declining resources. And I’d been doing it for years, stuffing my feelings down deep inside me, tucked neatly away to be dealt with at a more appropriate time. Except I never did deal with them. Instead, they lurked there, just beneath the surface, a sleeping volcano waiting to erupt.
When I look back it surprises me that no one
had raised concerns. The signs of my
emotional decline were definitely there- I’d neglected my appearance, was short
tempered with my co-workers and had stopped going to social gatherings. I was in pain, too. When you tuck away emotions every day they
begin to pile up, weighing you down, making you tired and sore. You begin to walk differently, like you’re
carrying a heavy load. Your back and shoulders
ache. You don’t hold yourself as
upright; the burden bends you, distorting your body and hunching you over. Then the injuries begin.
I needed help
I obviously couldn’t be breaking out into a
mess of tears all the time at work, though I often felt like it. No, I had to get a hold of whatever was going
on with me, and I needed to do it fast. I
needed a therapist but it was surprisingly difficult to find one! Access to mental health services, even for
those of us blessed with good insurance, is difficult at best. But that’s a topic for another day….
While I set out to find an appropriate therapist, I began seeking
support by opening up to trusted friends.
It was a reasonable place to start, but not a whole lot of answers came
from those sessions, only loving support, which I wrapped myself in like a
warm, comfortable blanket. It was
comforting, but it wasn’t the solution. I loved my job, and I wanted to be able
to continue to be professional and effective in interactions with peers and
patients. I didn’t want another
emotional outburst to undermine my credibility.
Getting mental health care became a priority both for my own sanity and
for my professional efficacy.
Nurse Burnout: Making steps forward
I found a therapist and began to go weekly. I used to call it “weeping Mondays” because that’s what a lot of the sessions were in the beginning. But, slowly, together with my therapist, I uncovered the issues that were causing me to feel so badly. We talked about how my work required me to withhold strong emotions and that how ignoring feelings can lead to problems like anxiety and depression. I started to understand, and the sessions slowly involved fewer tears and more objective reflection. I began to feel more confident and effective at work when dealing with difficult situations. A weight had been lifted from my back and I began to feel energized and whole again. It led to a host of other small, healthy changes, too, and slowly, day-by-day, I felt better. The nurse burnout that I was experiencing was finally diminishing.
I realized that once I was able to bring the
stories behind my emotions to the surface, I could look at them objectively and
finally understand why they made me feel angry, sad and frustrated. I came to understand that my feelings are
valid, they’re based in my personal values and that they deserve to be examined
and felt, not hidden away and disregarded.
I, too, have value and I started treating
myself like a person of value. A lot
of interesting things happened after that little revelation. I noticed that I was more objective when
conflicts arose and could respond from a place of intellect instead of emotion
because I’d been able to sit with my emotions authentically and compassionately. I’d treated myself with dignity and, as a
result, my communication and leadership skills improved as I treated others
with more dignity and respect as well.
Things got a whole lot better for me at work and at home.
Have you ever had to hide in the med room to fight back tears? Or maybe had an emotional outburst that was less than professional that left you feeling embarrassed and devalued? I encourage you to sit with your emotions for a while. What underlies them? What can you learn about your personal values? Look, I know you’re tired and sad and hurting. And it’s scary to confront powerful emotions. But you’re also strong, and our power lies in unearthing what makes us feel these feels. Allow yourself to experience it. Let those feelings rise to the surface; sense the release. Maybe you need help? Sometimes it may be necessary to get professional help so that you can release your emotions safely and with guidance. There’s no shame in asking for help when you need it. Dealing with nurse burnout made me a better nurse.
So cry! Laugh!
Scream out in frustration and fury. Let it rise up and flow through you and let it
out. Then, when you’ve felt all you can
feel and you’re spent, take time to look past the feelings at what lies
beneath. Discover your spark in the
ashes.
And rise.
We hope you found this article on burnout helpful. Do you have ways you cope with burnout? Comment them below.
Happy Nurses Week 2025! We’re so grateful for all that nurses do—every single day. This week is all about you, and we’re excited to celebrate with a giveaway! Need more details? Visit our Facebook page.
