While nursing is one of the most rewarding careers you can have, the demands can wear you down physically, emotionally and mentally. When registered nurses (RN) have no drive or energy, the well-being of their patients can suffer, and their own health can suffer, as well. Nurses need to face the reasons for their unhappiness, while keeping in mind the joy and satisfaction that comes with the job. If you are stagnant in your career, you might be ready to re-evaluate the path you’re on. Maybe it is time to finally earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
What Factors May Contribute to Pressure in Nursing?
Nurses are faced with many obstacles. The workload can become too much, and communication with coworkers may be ineffective or nonexistent. Leadership in your department or facility may not be the most supportive. Nurses may also experience these burdens:
- Loss of a patient
- Long shifts
- Rigorous schedules
- Insufficient staffing
- Toxic work environment
- Personal problems
Are You In a Rut?
Yes, nursing is a tough job and there are many bad days. But when you cannot muster any motivation, joy or sense of accomplishment, you may be headed toward burnout. Other signs include being:
- Easily overwhelmed
- Unfulfilled
- Lethargic
- Indifferent
- Distracted
- Short-tempered
- Quarrelsome
Besides the strain you experience as a nurse, you may also reach a point when you no longer feel challenged by your work. Perhaps you are not able to move up in your field, which may leave you uninspired. Thus, you may begin to perform your responsibilities without bonding with patients or coworkers.
How to Start Moving Forward?
If you desire to continue working as a nurse, you need to extricate yourself from what is keeping you dissatisfied in your job. Here are ways that you can overcome stagnation:
- Go back to school.
- Engage in professional development.
- Network.
- Look for a new job.
Why Should You Consider Further Education?
Nurses have a variety of opportunities to find a specialty that is a perfect fit. Continuing one’s education and rediscovering one’s passion for nursing is important. You can reinvent yourself and then find that you have a new passion.
Education is not only about completing a degree program. You may also discover that enrolling in certification programs, attending conferences, reading books and listening to podcasts are all avenues to identifying a new interest in nursing. They are also ways to expand your knowledge of nursing.
How to Connect With Peers?
Connecting with other nurses and colleagues can improve your outlook and redirect your attention to areas of nursing that you may find fulfilling. Networking may also be helpful if you are looking for another job and want to know about healthcare facilities that have good reputations.
You chose nursing so you can provide care to the sick and injured. Your patients trust you and depend on you to deliver quality care. But you also need to take care of yourself to stay healthy. Change is the key to regaining your contentment. So take a day off, plan a vacation, find a different job, enroll in a certification program or continue your education. Give yourself space to reflect and recapture your devotion to nursing.
Learn more about Northwest Missouri State University’s online RN to BSN program.
Sources:
NurseCore: 5 Ways Nurses Can Stay Happy at Work
Nurse.org: 9 Tips for Reigniting Passion for Your Nursing Career
Donna Cardillo: Knowing When It’s Time to Move On
LinkedIn: Stuck in a Rut? Three Ways to Shake Up Your Nursing Career
