The problems in nursing are undeniable. A recent
survey by Nurseweek magazine found that of the 4,000 nurses who responded
to a questionnaire, 87% reported being satisfied with being a nurse;
yet, 95% believe there is a nursing shortage and 76% think it has affected
the quality of patient care by nurses.
"I don't think it's that they no longer
love their jobs. What I've heard from nurses
is that they really love what they do it's
just these other overriding factors are
driving them away from the acute care setting,"
says Cindy Price, senior public relations
specialist with the American Nurses Association
(ANA). "Factors such as being forced
to work mandatory overtime … coupled
with the nursing shortage--especially in
an acute care setting where staffing is
an issue--these other factors are what may
be causing the burnout to begin with. The
nurses know that they went into nursing
because they love helping patients and caring
for people. What we're seeing is nurses
choosing to leave acute care not because
they don't love being a nurse but because
they're worried for their patients. They're
worried that they're not going to be able
to provide safe and quality care."
A recent survey by Medzilla, a leading
Internet recruitment and professional community
that targets jobseekers and HR Professionals
in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, healthcare
and science, queried nurses about whether
they're interested in leaving nursing for
a career in pharmaceuticals. The question
prompted a strong response, according to
Frank Heasley, PhD, Medzilla President and
CEO. "We're seeing more and more nurses
trying to leave the profession," Dr.
Heasley says. "One nurse, Sandi Bratton,
RN, of Charlotte, NC, expressed her frustrations
with working on the floor and being responsible
for 10 to 12 patients at a time. Another
simply responded with, 'Hospital nursing
is terribly stressful and we are overworked
and undervalued.' Those cries for help suggest
to us that something needs to be done to
help these nurses with burnout, frustration
or whatever they're feeling."
Burnout or frustration?
Sandy Ewing, a national speaker with expertise
in addressing burnout, stress and conflict,
says there is controversy over the definition
of burnout. Ewing, who also is a registered
dietician, says that some people believe
that burnout is stress overload, where people
get to the point that they can't take anymore.
"I don't buy into that theory mainly
because you've known people who have an
immense amount of stress in their lives
and they're not burned out. Two nurses can
be on the same shift, both have families,
have all the same things going on in their
lives, yet one will suffer burnout and the
other will not. The other will almost thrive,
in fact," she says. "What I'm
beginning to find out in my research is
that the difference appears to be that the
people who don't burnout have made a conscious
decision to figure out what is important
in their lives."
According to Ewing, nurses who are stressed
or frustrated can turn to stress relieving
or "coping" techniques, such as
taking a warm bath, exercising, eating right
and so on. However, a nurse who is burned
out needs more soul searching to overcome
her or his dilemma.
Helping nurses through these hard times
is more important than ever. "It's
almost a very dangerous time for nursing.
The patients aren't happy. The hospitals
aren't happy and the nurses aren't happy.
And so something dramatic has to change
in the whole profession to really make a
difference," Ewing says. "What
I see now is that most nurses just don't
last very long. It's sad to say but the
smart ones do the hospital work on the med-surg
floors for about as long as they can take
it and then they find another job in nursing
whether it's in a doctor's office or working
for a managed care company somewhere they
feel they have more control over the care
that they are able to give."
Coping with stress
Ewing suggests that nurses who feel burned
out to where the relaxing and stress-reducing
techniques do not work should first take
time to figure out what is most important.
Real soul searching might reveal that nurturing
patients despite the challenges is no longer
a goal for a nurse. Or it might further
strengthen a nurse's commitment to patients.
Self care also becomes important, Ewing
says.
"Nurses need to understand that yes
it is important to give but it is also important
to receive," Ewing says. "If we
take care of ourselves first, we're actually
more able to give more to others. Taking
care of our health, making sure we get enough
sleep, eating right--all those things nurses
don't do. They skip meals, they work double
shifts… So they're not taking care
of themselves, first."
Once nurses have figured out what is important,
they have to let those around them know,
Ewing says. "That might mean letting
your nursing supervisor know that you won't
work double shifts on a regular basis. That
might mean talking with your supervisor
about how you think patient care should
be administered. If in the long-run the
facility you're working for isn't willing
to abide by what you think is important
than you need to start looking for something
else. The longer someone stays in a job
where they sacrifice what they think is
important, the more likely they are to burnout,"
she says.
Recognizing and dealing with burnout
Stress reduction techniques can help you
get through a bad time, but if there's no
resolution in sight, it's probably time
to move on. Dr. Heasley says that "The
key is to recognize that the same situation
is happening again and again, or that your
feelings about your job and prospects appear
to have no hope of improvement. Burnout
can be insidious, the result of problems
that could be resolved but aren't. When
coping with stress becomes a way of life,
it's probably time to find something else
to do, or somewhere else to do it, that
gives you more hope of satisfaction."
