My First Year of Nursing

My first year of nursing has gone by!  Hurray!  I would love to say that it has been magnificent, but the truth is that it has been rather appalling (and has passed very quickly).

Too Many Night Shifts

I have experienced the very terrible four night shifts in a row (which I should never ever do again!).  It lead to a very zombie-like nurse and I got sick the week after.  I think my body couldn't handle it.  I couldn't sleep much during the noisy day time so I basically had four sleep-deprived nights in a row.  It is a very bad thing.  Don't do it  :)

Nurse Bullying 

I experienced situations where I got criticized for not doing things by another nurse.  Afterwards, I discovered that no one else had time either (somehow three shifts later no nurse had done it yet) and, in some cases, no one wants to do those tasks either (you realize it's a task that no nurse actually does).  So... why am I getting criticized for not doing them?  You quickly learn that nurses that complain the loudest and most assertively get away with the most.  Unfortunately, I am not that brave and not that loud.

Not Enough Time

I have tried and tried to do everything every shift, but I have realized it is not possible.  I get aching feet, super fatigue, and I end up hating my job cuz I'm so burnt out.  On the plus side, I have really happy patients and families on those days and the other nurses benefit because the families bring goodies like hot coffee and pastries for the ward as thanks for their family member being so well taken care of.  

It's not sustainable though.  When you have 8 hours and 7 patients, you can only do so much each shift without completely obliterating every last ounce of energy and patience you have.  If you're lucky, some of these patients are independent.  If one or more of your patients' condition turns sour, you're screwed.

Burn Out

For a short while, I thought it was just me.  Maybe I was the only one getting burned out so quickly after starting nursing.  To my surprise, I found other nurses that talked about getting burned out and considering dropping out of the field.  They told me that it helped to do things like changing wards to get a fresh start, or getting into a specialty area.  Also, they said that not doing night shifts anymore helped.

I feel like I just got out of nursing school and it's too quickly to go back to school again, but getting out of this rut is very important too.  I hate feeling tired every day.  I'm tired from working so hard every day, but I'm also tired emotionally.  

Natural deaths are hard to handle, unexpected and gruesome deaths are even harder to handle, and calming down people is something that I do so often that I'm tired of it.  It seems like every patient is panicking because they are confused about where they are and why, they are in pain and need to be medicated regularly all shift, they are puking, and their disposable brief needs to be changed for poop - very, very smelly whole-ward stinkin' poop.  

Meanwhile, the other nurses are getting stressed out and they're taking it out on each other.  I've heard nurses yelling at each other in frustration or snapping at me if I ask too many questions (I've since learned to just look stuff up instead of asking people, just in case).  It is a very stressful work environment.

Good Stuff

Anyways, that's all the bad stuff.  The good stuff is that I have learned so many new skills.  And so many skills that used to be hard, are now much easier.  Little by little, I am becoming a more competent and skilled nurse.  It's a good feeling.  I also still appreciate the little comments my patients give me when they appreciate what I do for them, or the relieved smiles when their families get positive reports from me.  I appreciate the nurses that take the time to teach me new things, help me with my work, or that thank me when I help them.  Those are good things too.

All in all, year one of real nursing has been challenging.  Let's see how year two goes!  Fingers crossed!

Tips For Dealing With Stress

(Here's an article to help your stressful day hopefully feel a little better.  xoxo, Marie)

Ironically, it is sometimes when I have the least to do that I am the most stressed.  Do you feel that way too?  I mean, there are lots of things I have to do, but it's the gaps in between what I've already done and the GINORMOUS pile of things I still have to do that takes my breath away.

For some, that means that you have a panic attack, anxiety attack.

For some you feel very tired and exhausted.  Maybe you have bad dreams about what you are worried about.  Maybe you have bad dreams about seemingly unrelated, but equally terrifying things.

Some people will dive into their work.  Maybe end up frizzled by the end of the day.  Or maybe work energizes you?  That would be a good thing. 

Some people disappear off the social scene.  You won't see any updates on Facebook from them, and they won't be giving you a call anytime soon.  They are seemingly unreachable, locked away in their worries. 

 Some of them are in-your-face exploding.  Maybe it's a cry for help.  Maybe they just want you to give them some space.  At any rate, they are angry and frustrated.

Have you ever tried to eat away your worries before they eat you alive?  I know I have.  Just the other night I ate a whole half sub.  I was so hungry!  I shouldn't have eaten such a big sandwich just before bed though... I know.  And don't even talk to me about chocolate...

It doesn't satisfy though, you know?  All the excuses, hiding, erupting, eating, and working just don't make the worries go away.

So what can you do to make the stress go away?  Here are some tips (and funny pictures to cheer you up):

1. Exercise regularly
   
2. Sleep well
   
3. Eat well
   
4. Learn to relax
   
5. Take a bath
   
6. Get a massage
   
7. Write about it in your journal
   
8. Do some yoga and meditation
   
9. Do things you love
   
10. Avoid negative thinking
    
11. Organize your life
    
12. Find out what is stressing you out
    
13. Stop worrying about things you can't change
    
14. Take responsibility for making your life what you want it to be
    
15. Have a sense of humor
    
16. Be willing to ask for help from friends and loved ones, or be willing to let them help you.
    
17. Stand up for yourself
    
18. Talk to someone you trust about what is bothering you
    
19. Take out your stress on a stress ball or punching bag (not your friends and family)
    
20. Plan an event that you can look forward to
    
21. Be honest about your emotions
    
22. Maintain perspective - maybe it's not as bad as you think
    
23. Chew gum instead of binge eating.
    
24. Get some sun - it can help you feel better.
    
25. Deal with your guilt.  Apologize to someone and heal a relationship so that you can move on.
    
26. Take time to imagine what you would like to be true.  Sometimes imagining helps you to find ways to make it come true.  It also gives you a break from stressful thoughts.
    
27. Keep good boundaries.  Learn to say no to some things so that you don't have too much on your plate at at time.  You can't please everyone; learn to be good to yourself.
    
28. Stop trying to be perfect.  You are human so you are going to make mistakes.  Learn to be kind to yourself and to use mistakes as ways to improve yourself (not beat up yourself).
    
29. Make decisions.
    
30. Don't put things off.  Make a schedule that includes both work and fun activities.
    
31. Delegate to others.  Don't do everything yourself.
    
32. Know when to seek help from a professional.  Sometimes you need help from an expert with an outsider point of view.
    
33. Cut down on alcohol, recreational drugs, and caffeine.  They make it harder to manage your stress effectively.
    
34. Breath.
    

Have a better day  :)

Sources:

Wikihow

Psych Central

Health Canada

 Medical News Today