How to Manage Your Stress Working as a Nurse

Workplace stress is a prevalent health issue for nurses. Many have reported being more stressed out and doing lower quality work due to the pressures placed on them by their workload, and the demands of the market. However, the problem seems only to be getting worse with time.  

The most apparent and familiar sources of workplace stress for nurses are overt workplace pressure, a lack of support from upper management, the inability to provide quality staff to understaffed facilities, lack of development opportunities and a fear of being replaced by a younger, less experienced team.

Nurses’ workloads have increased significantly over the last decade, even as staffing levels remained stable or declined at the same time. Some of the new entrants are having difficulty settling in to their workplace.  

There are many more factors contributing to nurse stress. This article will discuss the leading causes of high nurse stress levels and how the stressors can be managed.

Causes of Workplace Stress 

There are many things which contribute to workplace stress for nurses. It’s essential to understand the causes of these stressors so that you can address them accordingly:  

1. Lack of Workplace Support 

One of the most prominent contributors to high-stress level groups is inadequate workplace support. Nurses have always been faced with the dilemma of handling unmanageable workloads. With the global health crisis, they’re seeing more and more patients every day.

Some nurses can’t even go home, because they’re working more than 100 hours a week. There are instances where hospital management fails to address this issue and lets the healthcare practitioners burnout.

2. Interpersonal Relationships 

Sometimes a nurse’s stressors are their co-workers, supervisors or the boss. In other words, everyone has stressors, and for some they come in the form of people. Different people with different stressors can cause conflict within the organization.  

3. Nature of the Job 

The nature of a nurse’s job is stressful. Every day they see people dying or suffering from a disease, and they can’t do anything to stop the pain. For many nurses, seeing people suffer can have negative impacts on their mental health.

4. Personal Problems 

There are times when nurses can become distracted and stressed at work due to problems at home. Sometimes they’re going through family or relationship problems. Add that to the job’s stressful nature and you can imagine how a nurse might feel overwhelmed.  

5. Continuing Education on Their Own 

Some nurses find themselves wanting to continue their education. They find themselves balancing workloads between the hospital and the school. Some community colleges offer night school or flexible schedules for working nurses.

Some nurses choose to take online courses such as those on RNtoBSNProgram.com to help them to manage their time appropriately. Nevertheless, the pressure of doing well in both work and school is a lot, and can cause chronic stress.

Effects of Workplace Stress

Recent research reveals that the multiple stresses related to the medical care environment and the various responsibilities associated with nursing tasks routinely result in high psychological stress levels in nurses. Over the last decade, nurses have consistently reported the highest level of emotional stress across all healthcare professions.

Stress affects the body’s natural circadian rhythms, as well as the immune and cardiovascular systems. In addition to this, the over-stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system has been linked to several health problems. 

Physically and emotionally exhausted workers show significantly lower physical attendance counts and output, and contribute to greater absenteeism rates in the workplace. Over a third of all employees said that workplace stress had adversely impacted their interpersonal relationships. At the same time, many admitted to dealing with workplace stress through unhealthy behaviors such as smoking, overeating and drinking alcohol.

These same employees often report sleep disorders, depression and an increased risk of severe physical illness or injury at work. Moreover, people are less productive in light periods between workdays, as they become more easily frustrated and tense. 

Some studies have linked workplace stress to the onset of chronic diseases, including heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure. In addition to these diseases, employees exposed to excessive stress may also become susceptible to substance abuse, depression and other emotional or physical health problems such as anxiety, irritability and insecurity.

In addition to the effects of workplace stress, low morale and a lack of motivation can result in loss of employee productivity. Suppose employees are not inspired to perform to their highest potential. In that case, they may find themselves leaving the organization before ever achieving it.

What Employers Can Do to Help Nurses 

Organizations should be prepared to help all individuals within their staff feel included and valued. Supportive policies, procedures and guidelines should be in place to ensure that everyone, especially those with disabilities or illnesses, can reach full potential. If nurses are having trouble coping with these issues, it may be because the organization is ill-equipped to support them.  

Other solutions could include new policies requiring fair compensation, on-site child care, on-site supervision when children are present, ensuring disabled nurses have equal opportunity in the workplace, developing a stronger internal support structure, encouraging new initiatives, and setting guidelines for behavior and productivity development.

What Can Nurses Do to Manage Their Stress

There is only so much employers can do to reduce the stress for nurses. Whether the source of stress is linked to work, personal relationships or personal issues, you need to learn how to manage it. Here are some simple tips that nurses can employ to help manage their stress:

• Find Time to Exercise or Meditate 

Regular exercise is known to be a very effective stress reliever. Exercise has been proven very effective at reducing stress in the lives of people in general. Regular physical activity is a great way to improve your health, lose weight, relieve depression, improve well-being, reduce your risk of disease and manage other health problems.

There are many different types of exercise that can help to reduce your stress. Aerobic exercises are those which get your heart pumping; they can help to calm you down, boost your energy, help relieve you of the day’s stresses, improve your mood and lend other relaxing benefits to your lifestyle. Some examples of this include running, walking, biking, swimming, aerobics, yoga, dancing, and many others.

Walking is considered as one of the easiest aerobic exercises. It can also benefit your overall health, because it helps you to burn more calories in the day, tone your muscles, burn that excess fat, strengthen your bones, improve your cardiovascular health, lymphatic system, endorphin levels, lung capacity and memory. It also enhances your focus and concentration, which is very essential in the day-to-day life of an active nurse. 

Yoga is another excellent choice when you’re looking at how to reduce stress through your diet and exercise regimen. Not only does yoga improve flexibility, posture and muscle strength, but it also assists in the relaxing of the mind. Some studies have indicated that doing yoga and meditation together as a routine has effectively helped people to manage chronic pain.

• Take on Some Hobbies 

Another tip for managing your stress while working as a nurse is to engage in hobbies and interests outside of work. When you’re at home, make sure to read your favorite books or play your favorite games. You should know when you’re free, so that you can make plans to go out and enjoy your life.

If you have a pet at home, take it with you if you get the chance to vacation or if you want to pursue your vocation in some foreign land. There are plenty of other techniques besides having a relaxing hobby or interest to help you manage your stress working as a nurse. 

A relaxing hobby can reduce or eliminate your daily pressures, and help you to lower your stress levels. The first step is deciding what kind of hobby would suit you the best. Most people find that creative hobbies such as painting, drawing, sewing and knitting are the most gratifying.

Another hobby that provides excellent benefits for people who are under stress is gardening. Gardening is a fun hobby that gives you time to relax and forget about everything going on around you. Gardening provides some of the best relaxation time that you’ll ever experience.

Think about how wonderful it would feel to sit down with your family in a garden that you’ve cultivated and designed yourself. If you’ve always wanted to try your hand at vegetable gardening, why not get started with a simple vegetable patch in your lawn? Gardening is one of the most popular hobbies used to reduce stress, and one of the most successful.

• Practice Breathing Exercises 

Breathing exercises are a fantastic way to alleviate stress. They also improve the cardiovascular system’s functioning, increase your awareness, reduce anxiety and enhance the quality of sleep. If you can perform these exercises for 15 minutes daily, they’ll have long-term benefits on your nervous system.

Before you perform breathing exercises, you need to keep certain things in mind: 

• Choose a quiet place to do your breathing exercise. It could be in your room or somewhere else quiet within your home.

• Don’t force it, as this can make you feel more stressed. Try to relax as much as possible while doing the exercises.

• Do them at least twice a day.

• Always wear comfortable clothes when doing the exercises.

Remember that you should be able to breathe through your nose. To feel the maximum benefits of breathing exercises, you should always take deep breaths and feel the air coming in and out of your nose. If your nose is particularly stuffy, breathing exercise may only serve to frustrate you further.

• Spend Time With Your Loved Ones or Friends 

Spending time with family is a very effective way to reduce the stresses of everyday life. Spending time with family members and close friends offers a special sense of comfort and security. It reduces the feeling of isolation, as well as anxiety and depression.

Going out for a dinner or movie date with a friend can be a positive experience, providing an opportunity for you to share with them your worries and vent about whatever’s bothering you, if they’re available to listen. This type of socialization provides an activity and outlet, but it also helps you to reduce your level of stress and improve your mood. 

• Drink Tea 

The act of drinking tea itself is a relaxing ritual in itself, as found in many cultures worldwide. Unlike drinking coffee, tea helps your body to relax. You can even add natural herbs for anxiety and stress to feel the maximum effects.

Chamomile tea for relaxation has a very delicious flavor that’s truly worth the effort of preparing it. The reason why this beverage tastes so good is because of the high concentration of flavonoids found in the tea. The flavonoids present in have been found to contain anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that effectively fight off stress, fatigue, depression and anxiety.

• Keep Workplace Tidy 

To manage stress, it’s recommended to have a relaxed working environment. A cluttered workplace can easily aggravate a patient’s condition. If the working environment is not properly organized, the nurses will have difficulty concentrating on their work. Furthermore, they may feel pressured by their co-workers to do their job fast or at least faster. This will only create more stress, and tire the nurses out faster than normal. 

Summary 

Many nurses are working jobs that are considered low paying, and often physically demanding. Stress not only affects physical and mental health, but productivity in work as well. This is why employers should pay close attention to their nurses’ needs, to avoid weak spots in the workforce.

Naturally, nurses feel stressed due to the nature of their job. That is why, as a nurse, you should take the time to find ways to reduce stress in your life. To reduce the risk of developing a severe illness, many nurses are reining in their practices. Some have taken steps to eliminate job stress by adjusting their work settings, reducing their coffee intake, quitting smoking, limiting exposure to computers and other familiar sources of stress, and maintaining regular exercise. Make sure you follow the above guide when dealing with your workplace stress, and be patient; you’re not alone.