Job stress is a part of the job. However, career nurses take the cake on maxing out the stress meter. Their jobs are complex, and the demand is high, not to mention the pressure of saving human lives. Stress comes in all forms such as mental, emotional, or physical response to demanding circumstances. Stress manifestations can range from minor things like tiredness and irregular sleep patterns to major conditions like chronic depression or heart complications. Nursing requires physical labor, long work hours, and putting patient needs above yours among other things. Therefore, it is easy to understand the plight of workplace stress.
According to a survey by the National Council of State Board of Nursing, 800,000 nurses plan to leave their profession by 2027. Nurses are still reeling from the stress and burnout in the aftermath of the pandemic. Key reasons for nurses to want to part with their profession include burnout, deteriorating mental health, an increase in the nurse-patient ratio, and poor working conditions among others. Identifying workplace stress early on can help both nurses and organizations to prepare and implement stress management strategies.
Prioritize self-care
Often nurses can find it hard to unplug from the demands of the job. This can have a harrowing effect on their well-being and make them more prone to burnout. Nurses must ensure to take care of their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Get enough sleep, eat nutritious meals, engage in regular exercise, and practice relaxation techniques like deep breathing or meditation.
Build a support system to tackle job stress
Job stress in nursing can arise from a lack of a proper support system. SkillGigs recommends that you cultivate strong relationships with colleagues, friends, and family who understand the demands of your profession. By sharing your feelings and concerns with them you can clear your head and be in a healthy mental space. It is also recommended that if you are a travel nurse, to join groups with other fellow nurses so that each of you can confide in one another about the nuances of travel gigging.
Practice time management
Stress management cannot happen without time management. It is best to develop effective time management skills to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Make sure to prioritize your tasks, break them down into smaller manageable steps, and delegate when possible. Also, remember to schedule regular breaks to rest and recharge. An example given to us by one of our SkillGigster was to evaluate your morning time. This nurse mentioned that she found herself rushing in the mornings causing anxiety well before her workday. So, she evaluated the things she could control and decided to shower first thing in the morning vs. waiting. This prevented her from procrastinating and got her day moving.
Combat anxiety with mindfulness
Mindfulness can help you embrace your present in a more positive way. It can help you be more positive towards your current surroundings and not judge yourself exclusively based on your past. Mindfulness can remove stress in nursing with the help of yoga, meditation, and body recognition. [Click here to read Mayo Clinic’s mindfulness exercises.]
Use breathing techniques
Deep breathing triggers your brain to send messages to lower your heart rate and blood pressure. Job stress in nursing can often make you feel too overwhelmed by a simple thing at the end of a long exhausting day. So, when you are done with your shift, take a moment for yourself and practice deep breathing to let go of the trials of the day. [WebMD provides a great resource to learn breathing techniques to reduce stress. Click here.]
Manage your diet to beat job stress
We know, we know. This one is hard. A poor diet can contribute to workplace stress as it can cause health problems like being underweight, overweight, and high blood pressure among others. Ultimately, the trick is to try to avoid junk food. Instead, consider a diet rich in fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. But we also understand that life is about balance so if you need that triple chocolate chunk ice cream by the end of a bad shift, we understand.
Limit exposure to social media
Nurses witness so much day to day that scrolling social media at length can compound workplace stress. This can happen if you are seeing too many negative events happening in the world. If you have a habit of scrolling social media after work, set content recommendations that do not make you sad or angry. We highly recommend puppy videos.
Get some exercise
It can be difficult to regularly find the time for exercise when you work long hours. And there are shifts you have that even marathon runners could not complete. However, you can try to set up a schedule that can fit some exercise, or considerate, “me-time”. It can be any form of exercise like running, cycling, dancing, or playing any sport. Exercise boosts serotonin levels and releases endorphins which can improve your appetite and mood. Also, exercise can ensure that you have a regular sleep cycle.
Indulge in laughter
Did you know that the average pre-schooler laughs 300 times a day compared to an average 40-year-old that laughs four times? With age, we become more serious. The adage ‘laughter is the best medicine’ can help you counteract workplace stress. As you break into a laugh, you take in more oxygen, your muscles relax, immunity increases and blood pressure decreases. Your body cannot hold on to stress in the moments you laugh — at least we say so. To combat job stress in nursing, you can listen to a funny song, or podcast, or watch an episode of a comedy show while commuting to or from work. When you actively seek out humor, it can bring a positive change in your attitude.
Summary
Workplace stress can build over time and force nurses to think about leaving their profession. Thus, it is important for nurses to learn stress management techniques to take care of themselves and continue the good work they are doing. Nurses looking to switch jobs can try SkillGigs, a talent marketplace that leverages AI to match you with the right opportunities as per your skill set. Our proprietary bidding technology ensures pay transparency during the hiring process. With SkillGigs, job seekers will no longer have to attend interviews without knowing the salary for a position.
If you are new to SkillGigs, then sign up — it is completely free. It will be your opportunity to see what roles are currently available in the market to help you adjust your career path as needed to get to your next level of success.
