The Importance Of Nursing Burnout In Nursing

The nursing profession is one of the most physically, emotionally, and mentally taxing career fields. Working long shifts, placing other’s needs before your own, dealing with sickness and death on a regular basis, and working in a high stress environment are all precursors to developing occupational burnout in the nursing profession. Burnout refers to physical, emotional and mental exhaustion, which can lead to an emotionally detached nurse, who feels hopeless, apathetic, and unmotivated. Burnout extends beyond the affected nurse and begins to affect the care patients receive. Researchers have found that hospitals with high burnout rates have lower patient satisfaction scores (Aiken et al 2013). There are various measures that nurses can take

A nurse that wishes to determine if he/she is stressed, must first be cognizant of the signs and symptoms. Often, stress manifests not just in physical ways but in emotional ways as all. The physical signs of stress include headaches, weight gain, fatigue, and an elevated glucose level, while the emotional signs include anger, lashing out, hostility, sadness, and abstinence and isolation from activities (Roszler & Brail 2017). Stress management is the process of integrating positive and healthy techniques into one’s lifestyle in an attempt to reduce stress. Physical activity such as yoga has been proven to reduce stress. Researchers have found that because yoga encourages one to relax, it shifts the flight-or-fight response to the relaxation response, which has been shown to decrease stress by lowering breathing and heart rates, decrease blood pressure, lower cortisol levels, and increase blood flow to vital organs (Woodyard

Recognizing the signs and symptoms of when to stop and recollect one’s self is one of the strongest methods for contesting burnout. Research has shown that the consumption of alcohol, smoking, and certain meats have also been known to increase the risk of triggering stress hormones and illnesses while eating healthy is known to lower the risk of being stressed, overweight, developing obesity, and certain cancers (Darton et al 2004). Speaking with friends, family, and having a strong support system, as well as a rapport with the director of nursing is known to relieve some stress and anxiety. By speaking to the higher ups in management and discussing one’s feelings regarding the work environment, taking breaks to recharge, and keeping the lines of communication open the incidence of burnout greatly decreases. To conclude, putting one’s self first and remembering to guard your passion from outside stressors and influences by applying these effective strategies can preserve your passion for nursing and maintain your health and