5 Tips for Nurses: How to Prevent Burnout

As challenging as healthcare roles are, the jobs of nurses are high-stress by nature. They make quick and complex decisions that can impact their patients’ lives, leading to mental and physical exhaustion that eventually leads to burnout if they stretch themselves too far. To remain competitive and efficient at their jobs, nurses need to take special care of themselves to take good care of their patients.

According to an editorial published in the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, 25% to 33% of critical care nurses exhibit severe symptoms of burnout. Almost 86% of ICU nurses showed signs of at least one burnout symptom, including anxiety, stress, low motivation, exhaustion, frustration, cynicism, and poor career satisfaction. The top reasons for burnout in critical care nurses include traumatic situations, ethical dilemmas, and high mortality and morbidity rates.

If you begin feeling any signs of burnout, it means that it is time to prioritize self-care, as prolonged and untreated burnout can lead to severe mental health conditions.

Opt for Online Education Continuation

Nurses must undergo more than a one-degree program to progress and enhance their careers. An Associate Degree may place you on the path of a Registered Nurse. Still, bachelor’s and master’s degrees are essential if you land administrative and managerial roles and increase your salary potential. As busy as nurses’ schedules are, it is best to opt for an online program.

The advantages of distance learning include:

• Cost advantage

• Accelerated programs primarily for people with demanding careers

• It lets you pace your study according to your timeline

A 100% online MSN nursing administration degree from Texas A&M International University offers the following:

• An accelerated master’s program

• The completion period of ten months

• Cover 31 credit hours

• Total tuition $11,377

The tuition may differ if you reside in a state other than Texas. Nevertheless, you will earn an ACEN-accredited master’s degree in nursing from one of the top nursing institutes of Texas from wherever you reside.

Learning online will help recede some of the burnout from your nursing job as you do not have to stick to a class schedule and can plan your study according to your work shifts. Moreover, it will help you complete your degree in less time.

Improve Work Schedules

An important element of preventing burnout as a nurse is to stick to humane schedules that leave enough time for yourself and your loved ones.

Try following some of these strategies to improve work schedules:

• Stick to a maximum of nine-hour shifts in a day

• Work in a facility with good labor policies and a healthy work environment

• Avoid working overtime if it feels overwhelming

• Take advantage of exchanging shifts with other nurses if your workplace allows it

• Nurse Managers and administrators can establish and regulate healthy work schedules for nurses, keeping their well-being at the center. As important as patients’ well-being is, nurses’ well-being is equally crucial.

Take Breaks

Working without taking breaks can make you counterproductive and lead to burnout. It can even slow down your thinking process and memory retention. Therefore, make sure that you take breaks between shifts.

Try following these strategies:

• During the lunch break, leave your workspace to sit and eat in a designated area. Eating healthy meals improves your health compared to junk and processed foods. Take the time to chew your food, eat properly and enjoy it.

• Take a quick nap between shifts to alleviate cognitive function significantly and make yourself more attentive and focused.

• Exercise during breaks to help ease the stress in your body and mind.

4. Manage Stress

Stress is an inevitable part of nursing jobs. However, you can take the following steps to manage it more effectively:

• Whenever you feel overwhelmed and stressed, engage in deep breathing exercises to help clear and relax your mind, making it focused and work properly. It also helps during panic or anxiety attacks. Try focusing on your breathing with your eyes closed.

• Engage in regular meditation and yoga to help manage elevated stress levels. Try doing yoga early morning before heading to work, and you will be calmer and more relaxed during stressful situations.

• Manage your workload efficiently to help release stress. Sometimes there is nothing more stressful than piles of work that you need to get to or make critical treatment plans and decisions for patients. Try tackling the most challenging task first to get it out of the way. Then focus on the rest of your tasks, keeping in mind good time management to reduce stress.

5. Seek Help

Nursing jobs can sometimes feel like too much before leading to burnout. It is important to remember that you are not alone in your nursing journey. Here are some ways to seek help, support, and guidance:

• Seek support from your colleagues and peers who are on the same path as you. Supporting and uplifting each other boosts morale while strengthening the nursing community and professional network.

• If you witness other nurses battling excessive burnout, try reaching out and supporting them emotionally. You will also receive the same support in return.

• Talking to your loved ones about what bothers you can also help ease the stress and anxiety of nursing jobs while bringing you closer to them. Social connections play a crucial role in boosting mental health. Therefore, try spending quality time with your friends and family and seek their support and advice.

• Seek professional help. You will find many resources that offer support and guidance for nurses’ mental health. Seeking a council is the best way to find balance and satisfaction. Conclusion

Conclusion

By following the guidelines mentioned above, you can manage your job and balance personal commitments simultaneously. Establishing healthy boundaries between work and personal life is important for success.

For that, it is important to prioritize the most important tasks while taking care of yourself. It will help reduce stress and anxiety in nursing jobs.

We hope you learned something from this article. If you think we missed anything, please tell us in the comments below.