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Think positively. Although Mazabob said she
respects the difficulty of traumatic situations, she
tries to remove the tension by telling stories about
crazy things that have happened or reminding her co-workers
how their circumstances could be worse.
Jane Manning, MSN, RN, nursing retention coordinator
at The Methodist Hospital, which is part of Clarian
Health Systems in Indianapolis, and Tawnee Parrish,
RN, nurse retention coordinator for Clarian Surgical
Services, try to help their nurse clients realize they
can control their own destinies. Manning said she and
Parrish try to instill a sense of accomplishment in
nurses and help them see they're appreciated.
Nurses also should focus on the positive things they
are able to do for patients, rather than what they aren't
able to do, Manning said.
Make sure you work in the right environment.
Burnout tends to be minimized in units where nurses
experience a sense of teamwork, have supportive managers
and open communication and don't blame each other, Manning
said.
Monitor your stress; don't practice denial.
Six years ago, San Jose (Calif.) Medical Center intensive
care unit nurse Denise Paulo-Colaci, RN, said she didn't
know how to gauge her stress and would medicate herself
with alcohol. She became careless and stopped covering
her tracks, and she was brought in to her supervisor
for missing work.
Paulo-Colaci attended an outpatient day program, where
the facilitators stressed that she find a sponsor and
support group. After taking time off and following the
advice, she returned to working in the intensive care
unit, where she has worked for 14 years, and has remained
sober ever since.
Develop strong support systems. Paulo-Colaci
has developed healthy coping skills to deal with her
stress, partly because of a support group she belongs
to, We Care, which Lutman facilitates. We Care is for
health professionals who are attempting to recover from
chemical dependency. The group educates participants
about their disease and offers medical and psychological
referrals.
Nurses participate in We Care if they are on probation
with the California Board of Registered Nurses or through
the California Nurse Diversion Program.
Also, Lutman said, "It's really helpful for [nurses]
to sit in a room with other nurses [who] say, 'I did
that, too, and I got into recovery. I'm healthy now,'
just to give them hope that they can recover and return
to their nursing practice."
At least 37 states offer diversion programs. Paulo-Colaci
believes hospitals could alleviate nurse burnout by
running support groups for their nurses, regardless
of whether they have chemical dependency issues. She
said nurses would benefit from receiving support from
their co-workers, who are like a second family.
"Nurses deal with tragedy every day and don't
get support for it," she said.
At hospitals without nurse support groups, nurses can
help each other by supporting each other during tragedies:
If a patient on the unit dies, acknowledge it, Lutman
said.
Mazabob also recommends finding mentors or nurses who
seem to have it together.
Find ways to decompress. After work, Mazabob
works in security at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
in Houston, where she enjoys listening to concerts.
She also does "mindless" activities like walking
her dog.
Other nurses have spiritual rituals. Paulo-Colaci meditates,
while Lutman begins each day in the chapel.
Pace yourself for the long run. Don't throw
yourself 120 percent into your job. Instead, if possible:
- Take periodic breaks and spread your breaks throughout
the day.
- Get off the unit during break.
- If you can't get off the unit during break, at least
take a mental break. Don't talk about work on break,
and don't just sit and eat while you chart.
Maintain a healthy work/life balance. Some nurses
mistakenly base their self-worth on their job performance.
In We Care, participants focus on ways they can feel
good about themselves that aren't nursing-related, such
as through hobbies and relationships.
We Care wants nurses to feel they want lives to add
work to, not work to add life to, Lutman said.
Paulo-Colaci doesn't work overtime unless she has a
special expense. Although the demands of hospital staffing
sometimes make her feel guilty, "It's OK to say
no," she said, adding that someone else can always
do the work.
Nurses should "schedule enough time for play,"
Paulo-Colaci said, and realize their jobs are "a
way to pay bills, not everything in life."
"You've got to have balance," she said.
Contact Rebecca Ray at rebeccar@nurseweek.com
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