Nurse pressure and workplace stress management

¶ … pressure? How respo

There was a time when I was under extreme duress to get to work on time. Although I can look back on the situation fondly now and apply the lessons learned, back then it could have had serious negative ramifications for my career. I had recently moved and was beginning a new nursing position. I was supposed to fly in on the Friday before I started the following Monday, but I missed the flight and had to catch the next one. By the time I arrived, I barely had a chance to get a full night's rest in my own bed, let alone plot the route from my new residence to my job. I remember feeling so pressured as I drove around the downtown streets which all looked alike since I had just moved. At the time, the last thing I wanted to do was start a new job with a bad impression.

I was able to function in this high stress environment, however, by rationalizing the circumstances that led to this undesirable outcome for me. While I looked for familiar landmarks I recalled that initially there were circumstances beyond my control -- my unexpected layover at the airport. But I realized that my current situation was largely of my own making, and that therefore I could end it on my own terms. That insight enabled me to remain calm enough to finally find parking and come in late, yet be ready to move beyond the fact. Now I laugh about that story and recall it to patients to provide warmth and personality. There are a number of stressors that one can experience while partaking in critical care nursing. There are always time constraints, since people who require treatment from these facilities frequently need assistance speedily, with significant repercussions if they do not receive it. There are also psychological factors such as developing an aptitude for dealing with victims of violence.

Early on in my career as a nurse, I had to learn the crucial distinction between behavior that is appropriate and inappropriate when dealing with patients. I have long realized that for most people, medical facilities are an intimidating place because the role they provide in people's lives is so dire. Many people are concerned about the potentially negative ramifications of their respective positions, whatever they might be, which can cause them to become uptight and possibly complicate their procedures. I would always make attempts to accommodate such blanket timorousness by extending myself as a friend and a medical professional. There was one patient who was in my unit for a long time, and with whom I became very close. During the down time in my shifts I would go to visit him, and listen to his stories and help him pass the time. We became familiar with one another after the first month, and I once alluded to my personal life and that I was happily engaged. My supervisor happened to overhear this statement and counseled me later as to the fact that it is not advisable to give out personal information to patients. She told me that she was merely attempting to give me constructive feedback in making this point, but that generally it is best to offer such information (as well as other, more sensitive information) only when one is asked about it. I have internalized this information and have used it to inform my present and future patient relationships. It was important to my practice because I use it as an example to remind me that a nurse's first responsibility is to his or her patient's recovery.