At least once a year it is good to take stock of your life and your career and take steps to get yourself back on track, or even to change directions if that is what is needed. Some of the top things you can do for yourself as a nurse to make your career more rewarding and to avoid caregiver fatigue or burnout include the following: 1) Stress management is a must. Learn techniques that work well for you and use them routinely. Exercise, diet and sleep habits should be considered as well. 2) Managing your time efficiently and effectively is vital. Get organized and stay on top of things.…
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Take Care of You to Avoid Burnout
Nursing is extremely challenging. It’s a physical job and emotionally draining. It’s also a profession that requires constant replenishing in order to keep going and giving. The rewards can be the best, but sometimes you have to dig deep to find them. As we know, patients are not at their best. They are more concerned with getting well than with saying “thank you” to those helping them along the way. Families and friends are usually too stressed to be grateful either. It isn’t even likely to occur to them that the nurses would appreciate being thanked. Today more than ever before, patients are going home earlier and sicker. Nurses are…
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Empathy is What Nursing is All About
Kim over at Emergiblog has a great way with words!! And this time she is reminding us that nurses need to provide empathy because it’s what our patients expect from us. If we don’t, we are likely apathetic and God help us all if we get to that point in our professional careers or life. Thanks Kim for a great posting. We all need a pep talk now and then and this one bring home the point loud and clear.
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Tips to Avoid Burnout
Sometimes you just have to take some time to do the little things that you enjoy doing like reading a book, playing with your children or animals, taking a weekend trip, or engaging in a hobby like sewing, photography, or hiking. If you don’t take time to enjoy the things that mean something or help you to relax and feel like you’ve been able to escape or do something just for you, you can become angry, frustrated and resentful. These are the things that make your life worthwhile and make you feel worthy. Take time for YOU frequently. Don’t get so busy and stressed out that you feel like you…