It wouldn’t be an understatement to say that nursing is an incredibly taxing career. From graduation to retirement, nurses face difficult stressors and situations daily. After all, they work long, irregular hours in hectic cases while caring for numerous patients. At times, the stakes are life-or-death.
For graduate nurses, things are worse. Graduate nurses must care for patients, practice autonomously and be accountable for compassionate, safe, person-centered nursing that maintains and respects the healthcare setting.
These responsibilities and parameters can lead to exhaustion, detachment from work, and fatigue, further leading to patient safety concerns. Therefore, new nurses need to learn the art of stress management to assure the well-being of their patients and their well-being.
Thankfully, there is a lot the individual graduate nurse can do to minimize stress and lead a work-life that’s balanced with empathy and self-care.
1. Find a hobby
Discovering a new hobby is another excellent way to de-stress. It gives graduate nurses something different to think about, and it’s something they enjoy doing. Hobbies make people happy and can provide a sense of accomplishment and pride.
Hobbies don’t have to be time-consuming. They could be as simple as knitting, reading, exercising, working on an art project, or even going for a walk (which is highly beneficial for stress reduction).
Also, expanding your education to have a higher position in nursing can act as a hobby and help you kick the stress. A DNP, for instance, can offer you the necessary skills and knowledge needed to become a nursing professional with flexible working hours.
Thanks to the new norm – online learning, it is now easier than ever for working nurses to apply for DNP programs online while completing their shifts at the hospital.
2. Learn to handle unpredictable patients
Another common source of stress for nurses is the threat of verbal or physical violence. A lack of training to deal with these situations can expose graduate nurses to anxiety in their daily lives.
If you are unsure how to respond in this situation, speak with a senior staff member. Also, ensure you are familiar with the protocol for dealing with such problems in your specific work environment.
You can also request training; knowing how to react in an emergency can help alleviate anxiety and stress.
3. Draw or write in your journal
Keeping a personal journal is a comfortable way to express yourself. It can also assist you in organizing your thoughts and coming up with solutions to, particularly stressful conditions.
Some nurses even find that doodling, whether calming visuals like roses or funny scenarios, help them release their pent-up struggles.
4. Establish boundaries
Graduate nurses must establish clear professional and personal boundaries. That is more difficult for nurses who are “on-call” on a particular day. On days off, however, it is critical to leave work at work. That may imply disabling workplace texts, email alerts, and notifications.
It also entails preventing family or personal matters from interfering with work. Constantly checking online digital devices or phone calls at work can leave you feeling overburdened and stressed out. Hence, it is essential to set your boundaries.
5. Recruit support
Nursing workmates form a close-knit family. They are in the trenches with one another, so discussing work-related stress factors is hugely beneficial.
They can all, in essence, relate. A therapeutic vent session is exceptionally beneficial for getting concerns out in the open and sharing ideas for improving things.
It can be helpful to organize a get-together outside of work. Night-shift workers can get together for breakfast, and day workers can get together for a late dinner or lunch. By establishing a support group, graduate nurses can be more open in expressing their concerns.
6. Practice deeply
Many people dismiss the idea that deep breathing can help you relax. Nurses, in particular, should take note because this technique of stress relief has a scientific basis.
Deep breathing, according to stress.org, helps to bring oxygen to the brain and stimulates the nervous system, both of which help reduce stress. As a result, the blood pressure and heart rate balance, and the muscles relax.
Deep breathing is an easy and quick way to reduce stress; it can even be done at work while things are chaotic.
Slipping away for a minute or two to the supply or break room can help. Deep breathing exercises in meditation or yoga are a more in-depth method for stress relief at home.
Yoga focuses on breathing patterns in particular so that practitioners can become aware of the mind-body connection.
7. Communicate clearly and concisely
Communication clarity is another vital tool for dealing with nursing stress. Graduate nurses share information regularly with technicians, family members, physicians, and patients.
This type of communication can be stressful, especially when combined with addressing tricky diagnoses and challenging treatments in a compassionate, caring manner.
So keep your workplace texts, emails, and face-to-face interactions simple and to the point to minimize the communication burden.
8. Seek professional assistance
Suppose you’re still not feeling well despite doing everything you can to deal with and decrease nurse stress. In that case, it’s time to seek professional assistance from a therapist or counselor.
Counseling is frequently provided as part of your employer’s wellness bundle. Still, you can also reach out for help outside of your professional setting. Therapists and counselors are trained to assist you in determining the source of your stress.
They will work with you to develop appropriate coping strategies and make any necessary ups and downs to help you manage your stress in the long run.
Conclusion
Stress is, of course, a natural part of our lives, but some vocations are uniquely harrowing. Nursing is a prime example. However, with the right coping strategies, newly graduated nurses can be proactive in mitigating and managing their stress – and making their careers fulfilling and healthy.
Just stray away from any negative thoughts and learn to say “No.” Do something every day that makes you happy and don’t be afraid to ask for help – we all need it once in a while.
Also, remember to bookmark this article, so whenever you are experiencing nursing stress, you will have something to look back at and gain peace.
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