Nursing is necessary but is not a job or career for everyone. The nurse is the backbone of the hospital. Don’t get me wrong, the physicians, the medical doctors, are essential. They are the ones that diagnose and place the orders for everything. The nurses are those that get things done. Nurses are with the patients for their entire shift, twelve hours. Between tending to the patient’s needs, cleaning them, wound care, and changing face to suit the next room’s situation, the nurse is physically and mentally exhausted at the end of their shift.
#1 The anguish and stress
Hospitals, especially now, are low staff with a high patient census. The day-to-day stress of the nurse continues to build. Hospitals are asking the nurses to come into work overtime, some with incentives, which sound great until the individual’s mental health is at risk. Many nurses are becoming burnt out, and then they leave to travel and make more money to do the same thing or leave the bedside altogether.
#2 What is self-care?
Self-care is a combination of taking care of your basic needs and beyond to ensure that you are at the best point possible. Self-care is when a person cares for themselves, and sometimes this means grand movements such as a massage, Mani or Pedi, a day at the beach, or more essential items like eating healthy, sleeping, and exercising. There are so many ways to rest your mind and take the time to unwind after three shifts in a row by journaling, a shopping day, a beach day, mediation, biking. Sleeping, eating, and exercising sounds like it should be a no-brainer. Still, there are so many people out there who will work themselves until they come into a disease process or a mental break down and instead of taking the time on their terms, they have to take more time when their body breaks down are forced to take the time.
#3 How self-care helps
There are a few reasons why self-care helps and why it’s crucial. First, you cannot care for someone at a hundred percent if you are not at one hundred percent. When someone is sick, and you need to take care of their disease process, you need to have the energy to keep going, be restful, alert to change in the patient, and have moments of reset to handle the next day mentally. Second, autonomy, give yourself your deserved breaks, a week, a day, or even a journaling session, because as stated above, it’s better to take the day or week on your terms before your mind or body is given. It’s a long duration of time that is not your decision, this will always happen during the worse possible time and add stress to a time that you shouldn’t feel it, but somehow you will be needed. Third, as a nurse, you will be able to stay in the profession or bedside much longer without the need to leave. And finally, you will be a happier and healthier person.
How do you take the time out for yourself?