I’ve done shift-work before, talk about losing sleep! I could never get my body to know where it was. Up was down, day was night, dark was light. I’d be thoroughly exhausted, my eyes burning red, and I continued to lie awake.
Top off rotating days and nights there was nursing work in and of itself.
I’d wake up in the middle of the night with Mr. Jones in room 314 on my mind. ‘Did I sign off that I gave that p.r.n Ativan? Let me call the unit and double check.’ How many times did I call the night shift nurses at 3 am, asking them if I completed this or that task? I always wondered if they had started to think I was going crazy!
An email was sent to me by one of my readers:
‘Dear Elizabeth,
I find myself losing sleep over nursing work. When I go home I can’t seem to rest, knowing I didn’t get to give the quality of care I’m proud of. What do you recommend for those of us who just don’t feel like we have the time to practice the type of nursing that we signed up for?
Terribly Tired RN‘
Well, terribly tired RN, I feel your pain. My first response to you, and all of you reading out there: you are not alone.
Healthcare has turned into big business. We rush people out as quickly as we can get them in. Phones, pages, texts and emails take over our time. When we’re in with one patient another needs us. There never feels like there’s enough time for anyone or anything.
Exhale. Let it go. What you’re experiencing is a totally normal outcome of the conditions that we practice in.
Here are three suggestions to reconnecting with your nurse within:
- What’s Done is Done. It might be easier said than done, and once you’ve left work leave work behind. Take it from me, there’s no point losing sleep over would’a, could’a, should’a. The next shift comes in. A new set of staff are on. And you can’t go back in time anyway. You can’t get back to the room where you wanted to tuck Ms. Smith in and pat her on the arm. We cannot go backwards. So let go and allow yourself to be more present in the moment.
- Get Quiet in the Off-Time. While we are in the thick of things at work it may be impossible to bring your attention to one thing, staying present in that moment. So practice while off of work. Pick up a mediation practice. Spend time in quiet. Sit still and just breathe. The more you can strengthen these skills outside of work the easier it will be to practice them while on the job.
- Appreciate the Wins. Yes, you may not have gotten to give Mr. Brown a bath, and what about the time you spent helping Mrs. Taylor to the bathroom? We are not superheroes. We can’t be in more than once place at a time. While you go home, feeling as if you didn’t get to it all, can you also celebrate the successes that you did have? What were you able to do that you can take pride in? How can you shift the perspective to what went well during the shift? Focus on the good and there’s more coming your way!
These are simply three skills I encourage you to practice to tap into the nurse within. I’d love to hear your comments, questions and insights below. Feel free to share a comment from your heart. As always, enjoy your health today. Thank you!
I have gone home many mornings and thought the same thing, “Did I clock out? Did I chart my IVPB? Did I complete the summary I was writing on Mrs. Jones? Did I go back and tell the patient in room 45 that her daughter called.” I also wake up in the middle of my sleep wondering the same things. I have come to the conclusion that if it was something that is life or death, they will call me. If it’s something I can go back and complete when I go back the next shift, I can do that without a problem. If it’s that I didn’t get a chance to give the kind of care I had wanted to….then I hope and pray that the patient felt the care they received was good care and they were happy. I do my best to let it not bother me and allow myself to get that much-needed sleep I so desperately need. Realizing that I have done the best I could, gives me the peace of mind that allows me to maintain both better physical and mental health, too.
Thanks, Marti. You express what so many of us have experienced and felt before. It is good to hear so that we know that this is normal; we are not alone. I’m happy to hear that you realize that the much-needed sleep is more important than staying up and worrying about what’s done is done. We as nurses are privileged and so blessed to be able to work with our patients on a daily basis. We do the best that we can and for them, that’s great. Thank you for writing. Enjoy your day, Elizabeth
A good intention can backfire. For example, a patient can tell you what they want but they may not specifiy how they want it. What makes one person happy can have the opposite effect on another. It helps to realize that it may not be my fault. Misunderstandings happen; it’s a fact of life. I treat my patients the best that I can. I can’t control everything, including negative reactions. I can only do my best, apoligize, and hope that that’s good enough.
Thanks for coming by and sharing your comment, AJ. Your example highlights so perfectly why standing grounded in our own intention is very important. We can only control our own thoughts, feelings, actions and desires. Coming from that perspective is very empowering. Thank you for sharing your insights. Enjoy the day, Elizabeth