Attaching an Odor

The other day I was at the hospital and had a meeting on the ninth floor. When I got on, there were already two people riding the elevator, who exited on the fourth floor. As soon as the door closed, I looked at the person next to me and said “What did they bathe in cigarettes?”

Now my uncle smokes and I’ve slept at his house before. I’ve also driven in his car and went to eat at restaurants with him many, many times. I also understand how smoking is an addiction- probably one of the hardest ones to break.

So by no means am I judging here- but these people reeked of cigarette smoke! Literally. I thought they had rolled around in cigarette butts before getting on the elevator.

Maybe it was the small space. Maybe it was the cold, rainy day. Maybe they chain smoked in the car. Who knows? All I know is it stunk!

Is There a Stigma?

As I said, there were two of us on the elevator when the smokers exited. I was riding to the ninth floor, so I had some time before getting off. My ride stopped again, after we let Smokey Joe and Josephine off at four, at six.

The woman who got on the elevator at the sixth floor had a hospital badge with the RN symbol on it. ‘Oh great,’ I thought to myself, ‘Now she is going to think I’m the one with the smoking addiction!’

“It’s not us” I said (offering up compassion for the rider who was standing beside me looking embarrassed as well). “They got off on the fourth floor and the smell lingers on…”

The woman exited with me at nine, laughing. She did admit that she was contemplating whether or not we were the ones who stunk up the elevator.

So what’s this all about? Why did we (I) quickly jump into defense mode- making sure others knew ‘it wasn’t me!!’?

Put on a Pedestal

We’ve all heard it before. In fact, I’ve written about it on this very blog. Nurses are often voted one of the most trusted professions. We interact with patients, clients, (the public, really) and their families on a daily basis. We ought to be ‘the face’ of health as we are teaching and preaching healthy habits all day long.

But it can be hard. We’re human. We make mistakes. We are challenged with our own afflictions. And no matter how hard we strive, we may never reach a destination of ‘perfect’.

Work-Related Stress for Nurses

Add this constant pressure to the already stressful environments of healthcare- it’s no wonder we are burning out. So what can we do to relieve some stress in nursing? Well, there are many things- and so today, I’ve decided to share three ways to reduce stress in your nursing career.

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• Don’t take it personal. I once read something in a book that I will never, ever forget. Yes, I may have forgotten where I read it, but I will never forget these words of wisdom. “People are doing the best that they can with what they have at this very moment” (or something to that effect- not said by me, LOL). We live in a very interesting world of perception. What I see, feel and experience may be very, very different from you. You may have memories, situations and actions that differ from the next person. Most people are not out to harm you. They may not even be aware of the fact that their words or actions do, in fact, hurt you. And that is your perception of it. So take what others are up to with a grain of salt- especially at work!
• Focus on what you can control. The healthcare environments of today are constantly changing. Shifting. Evolving. Improving? Some of the change we enjoy; some we fight to the death. However, how much of this resistance causes you stress? Are there things in your nursing career that are just beyond your control? I encourage you to focus on the things that you can change. The things that you can impact. Have a say in. Release the tension of that which is beyond your control.
• Love the little things. Last month I wrote a post about a bus driver. It got a lot of attention, views and comments. The message in this article was focusing on the joy in it all. Even in the smallest things. Even doing the job of a bus driver. Having a smile- saying ‘hello’. Being grateful for every moment. The reason we are so stressed out in nursing a lot of the time is because we focus so much on the stress. What can you find about your nursing career that you can enjoy today? What are you grateful for in terms of being a nurse?

I’d love to hear from you. What did I miss? Leave a comment below with what you would add to this list of tips to reduce stress in nursing. Thanks for reading and enjoy the day.