How To Not Get Burned Out of Nursing

So, nurse burnout is a problem that affects nurses throughout the country.

It doesn’t matter whether you are a young nurse, an old nurse, a new nurse, or a seasoned nurse—every nurse is susceptible to getting burned out.

In this particular article, I want to talk about nurse burnout.

Specifically, we’re gonna talk about what nurse burnout is, how to prevent getting burned out, and what to do if you think you are already getting burned out or are just burned out of nursing.

What is Nurse Burnout?

Let’s begin by talking about what exactly nurse burnout is.

There are many ways to look at what nurse burnout actually is, but one way to see it is as a stress that gets to a point where it causes extreme physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion.

Another way to look at it is a decline in physical, emotional, and psychological energy resulting from work-related stress.

What makes this really bad is that it can lead to cynicism towards your patients and your coworkers.

There’s actually another definition or another way to look at nurse burnout that I prefer.

It’s kind of like the way that I look at burnout in general, not just nursing burnout. But before I get into that, let’s talk about what causes nurse burnout.

What Causes Nursing Burnout

There are several contributing factors that many of us face daily that causes burnout.

First, the long hours and demanding shifts of nursing can be incredibly draining, both physically and mentally.

We’re often working in high-stress environments, dealing with critically ill patients and making life-or-death decisions, which can take an emotional toll.

This emotional strain is compounded by chronic understaffing, which forces us to take on more responsibilities with fewer resources, making an already tough job even harder.

On top of that, there’s the pressure to meet administrative demands, which can feel overwhelming and never-ending, adding another layer of stress.

The last nail in the coffin, if you will, and the part that I think really makes everything worse, is the feeling—and in some cases, the actuality—that you have very little support from management and sometimes even from our peers.

This then leaves us feeling isolated and unsupported.

This then gets me to the other way I’ve seen burnout described, which is hopelessness that happens when the work you do doesn’t seem to matter or when the environment you’re in makes you feel like your efforts are futile and things will not get better.

There’s a fine line between hopelessness and getting burned out about a situation and just being fatigued or tired from the work that you do.

How to Prevent From Getting Burned Out?

Let’s talk about how to prevent from getting burned out.

1. Learn to Love Yourself First

Probably one of the first things you can do to help prevent from getting burned out is to really learn how to love yourself first.

I know as nurses, we’re always about taking care of other people, putting other people first—even to the point that it becomes detrimental to ourselves.

So, what I want you to do is to flip that train of thought. Try to focus on taking care of yourself. If you need rest, get rest. If you need physical exercise, get some exercise.

Find a hobby, don’t work so much.

Do whatever you need to take care of yourself because once you’re in a healthy spot, it’ll be easier for you to take better care of other people.

2. Keep a Healthy Work-Life Balance

The next thing is to really try to keep a healthy work-life balance. I know this is going to be hard.

Historically, it’s been hard for me, even as I sit here telling you this is what you need to do.

I’ve been a fan of 12 and 16-hour shifts since I first started working them. I could work three times a week and have four days off.

Some people would use that time to run errands and chill, but for me, it’s always just been about adding another job to work more shifts. Now, I’m just working a ton of hours.

There will be seasons where you need to work extra to pay off debt or save up for something, but you want to get to a point where you have a better work-life balance in the long term.

This could mean different things to different people. Maybe 12 or 16-hour shifts don’t work for you, and you need 8-hour shifts.

Or maybe it’s about the number of days you’re working. Also, try to take your vacations.

Studies show that not many Americans take their paid time off, and I think you should not be one of those people.

Take your time off and get away from work. Even if it’s just a staycation at home, just relax.

3. Find Out How You Decompress From Stressful Situations

Another important thing is to find out how you decompress from stressful or traumatic situations.

Different nursing specialties have different stressors. For example, in mental health, a traumatic or stressful situation might involve a patient trying to harm themselves or others.

In the intensive care unit, dealing with death and postmortem care can be traumatic and stressful, especially when dealing with families.

It might not seem like a big deal, but dealing with it repeatedly can take a toll.

Find out how you can decompress from these situations. It might mean taking time off, talking to a therapist, or finding other ways to cope.

Do whatever you need to do to manage your stress.

4. Learn to Say “NO”

The next thing is to make sure you learn how to say no. Or another way to look at this is to learn how to set good boundaries.

If you have a people-pleasing personality, constantly agreeing to do things can cause you issues.

For example, if you work in a unit with poor staffing, management might overwork the regular staff. Learning to say no is important to avoid burnout.

5. Seek Out a Therapist

Seeking out a therapist is another valuable step. Therapy provides an outlet to talk about your situation with a neutral third-party.

This is important because if you’re constantly talking about your stress with friends or family, you might burn them out too.

Therapy allows you to focus on your issues with someone who isn’t personally tied to you.

Some institutions partner with therapy services, so check if your workplace offers any support.

You can also visit nursemoneytalk.com/therapy to find a therapist.

Additionally, check your insurance for coverage on therapy sessions. Some plans offer a certain number of sessions for free or at a reduced rate.

As an example, I know that our insurance plan gives us, I believe, 6 or 12 sessions for free.

What to Do If You’re Burned Out on Nursing

Alright, so what do you do if you think it’s too late and you’re already burned out? Here are some options depending on your situation.

1. Change Jobs

The first thing you can do, and to me, this is one of the more effective options, is to change jobs.

Now, I know changing jobs isn’t necessarily easy, but compared to some other alternatives, it’s definitely one of the more straightforward and impactful solutions.

Sometimes, certain jobs just aren’t good to work for. You might have employers who are poorly run, offer no administrative support, and create a very toxic environment.

If you find yourself in that scenario, it might be time to look for a new job. Go ahead and visit nursemoneytalk.com/jobs to start exploring other nursing job opportunities.

2. Change Nursing Specialties

Something else to consider is changing nursing specialties.

Think about what is causing your burnout and identify the aspects of your current specialty that you don’t like.

If you believe that changing specialties could help improve your outlook on nursing, it might be worth exploring.

For example, if you’re working in mental health and the constant risk of physical harm or witnessing physical altercations is troubling, you might consider switching to a specialty with less physical risk.

Alternatively, if you’re in the intensive care unit or the emergency room and are tired of seeing a lot of people dying or dealing with critically ill patients, you might look at transferring to a specialty where you encounter fewer severely ill patients.

Once you identify the specific issues causing your burnout, seek out a nursing specialty that doesn’t have those particular problems.

This change might not solve everything, but it could significantly improve your current outlook on nursing.

3. Take a Break From Nursing

Another option is to completely step away from nursing for a while.

Now, this isn’t something I suggest lightly, but depending on your situation, it might be a necessary option to consider.

Taking a break doesn’t mean you have to leave nursing permanently.

It could just mean that for a particular season, you need to step away and explore something else.

This break could give you the time you need to recharge and reassess your career path. You might return to nursing later, or you might find a new direction that suits you better.

Either way, taking a break can provide the mental and emotional respite you need.

How Do I Know I’m Burned Out

You might be wondering, how do you know if you’re burned out or if you’re on the verge of it? Here are some signs to watch for.

These aren’t definitive indicators that you’re burned out, but if you find yourself fitting into one or more of these categories, it might be worth exploring further.

1. Dreading Coming to Work: This goes beyond just not liking your job. Many people don’t like their jobs, but dreading it is something completely different.
2. Apathy: Feeling indifferent towards your job and patients.
3. Short-Tempered: Noticing changes in your behavior and personality, becoming more irritable or short-tempered.
4. Physical Ailments: Unchecked stress can eventually lead to physical health issues.
5. Frequently Calling In: While occasional call-ins are normal, watch out if you find yourself looking for any reason to call in sick.
6. Going Through the Motions: Some nurses might call this being checked out. You might be physically at your job, but mentally and emotionally, you’re somewhere else.

Different nurses will react differently to burnout, so it’s important to notice these symptoms early.

Since stress is one of the main underlying issues, recognizing the signs of nurse burnout early can help you take the necessary steps to make changes before irreparable harm is done.

Nurse Burnout Resources

If you need help with nurse burnout, I’ve compiled a resource section focused on this topic.

Within this resource section, I will list books, websites, and scholarly articles that you can refer to in order to address nursing burnout.

1. “Stop Nurse Burnout: What to Do When Working Harder isn’t Working”

This book provides an in-depth exploration of nurse burnout. It offers a comprehensive examination of the signs, symptoms, and complications associated with nursing burnout.

Additionally, it presents practical steps to manage and alleviate the effects of nursing burnout.

2. “Should I Give Up Nursing?: Practical Advice and Inspiration from Real Nurses for Those Heading Towards Compassion Fatigue and Burnout”

This book is for those considering leaving the nursing profession. It shares inspiring stories from other nurses facing burnout and offers practical advice.

Key Takeaways

With that said, I want to end with a couple of important points. When we look at how much we care for our patients, we need to ideally put that same level of effort into caring for ourselves.

It’s not selfish to focus on your own self-care. In fact, I believe it’s quite selfless because if you’re in a good situation, you can definitely provide better care.

The risk is that if you’re working in a burnt-out state, feeling hopeless, and not empathetic to what’s happening, you put yourself at risk of delivering subpar care.

Ultimately, that’s not what you want, and it’s not what your patients deserve.

So, take the time to focus on your well-being.

By doing so, you’ll be better equipped to provide the high-quality care that your patients need and deserve. Thank you for watching, and take care of yourselves.