I love watching my dog sleep. Right now he is sprawled out in the sunshine, lying peacefully on his side. His legs are stretched out and I can almost see a small smile on his face.

As nurse professionals, we have a little bit more of a challenge. We have our nursing careers. Sometimes our role in nursing puts us into a catch 22. We love our nursing profession and feel less enthralled with our current job as a nurse.

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1. Ease up on control. Something I learned from my spiritual practice study was the following mantra: ‘In my effort to be in control; I am out of control. I can only be in the flow of the present moment.’ We cannot control another person’s thoughts, feelings, actions or behavior. When we try to do so we will fail and then the result will be feelings of frustration and anger. The only thing that we have control over is our own thoughts. Let go of your need to control the outcome, your co-workers, or the place of your employment and you will experience much less tension at work.
2. Focus on personal growth. If we cannot change another human being; then we can focus on our own change and development. If you are truly unhappy with your current nursing career you can do something about it. You can take the steps, one at a time, that you need to take to make a shift. It may mean taking a course or becoming certified. It could mean reading a book or going to a workshop. Focus on your own growth to make yourself happy and less stressed out.
3. Remember everyone is doing the best that they can. I read a book on patience called ‘The Power of Patience: How this Old-Fashioned Virtue Can Improve Your Life‘. I remember one part loud and clear. The author, M. J. Ryan, wrote that each person is doing the best that they can in the very moment with what they have available to them. This screamed volumes to me and each time I am in a difficult situation with a person who is getting under my skin; I recall these very words. Everyone, for the most part, just wants to be happy. As do we. So remembering that they are doing the best that they can in this moment, may help you to release the irritations felt on the job.

I would love to hear from you. What would you add to this list? How have the above suggestions helped your nursing career? Leave a comment below and thank you for reading.