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While many nurses will resolve to better care for their bodies in the coming year, few will take steps to address their emotional well-being, assuming that stress and fatigue are a non-negotiable part of their jobs.

It was a typical frenzied night on the med/surg unit and Kathy Sommese, RN, was frantically attempting to care for 10 critically ill patients. At the end of her shift, she felt emotionally drained, knowing that once again she would barely have enough energy to drive home and crawl into bed.

In Los Gatos, Calif., Lisa Kelly, RN, also was fatigued after completing her shift at Community Hospital of Los Gatos. An operating room charge nurse, Kelly routinely juggles patient care duties with myriad management responsibilities.

Sommese and Kelly are among the many nurses who have experienced a personal energy crisis. Dealing with death and illness daily, in jobs that are both physically and emotionally demanding, can leave nurses feeling as if they are running on empty.

While many will resolve to better care for their bodies in the coming year, few will take steps to address their emotional well-being, assuming that stress and fatigue are a non-negotiable part of their jobs.

“Emotional fatigue is a part of our frenetic modern-day lives, but there are proven strategies nurses can use to regain their energy levels,” said Mira Kirschenbaum, a Boston-based psychotherapist and author of The Emotional Energy Factor.

Kirschenbaum said that it’s a misconception that the energy we require is primarily physical rather than emotional. Her studies of endocrinologists, nutritionists and sports medicine staff show that 70 percent of our total energy is emotional—the kind that manifests itself as hope, resilience, enthusiasm and fun.

“In order to refuel, nurses need to incorporate pleasure, freedom and self-care into their lives,” Kirschenbaum said. “Every nurse needs to ask, ‘How am I giving myself pleasure?’ ‘What am I doing as an act of freedom?’ ‘What are the ways in which I’m genuinely taking care of myself?’ ”

In her book, Kirschenbaum illustrates the secrets that high-energy people use to beat emotional fatigue. She said that people who are least likely to suffer from emotional meltdowns are those who make it a priority to protect and replenish their emotional energy.

“Nurses need to learn to recognize the factors that drain their energy such as overcommitting, holding on to losses or trying to live up to others’ expectations,” Kirschenbaum said. “Once they have identified these triggers, they can take steps to avoid or minimize them.”

Kirschenbaum’s book includes a list of “Eight Energy Drains and How You Can Fix Them.” She encourages nurses to address their drains, and then identify areas that give them energy, such as prayer, fun and pleasure, and determine how to incorporate these pleasures into their daily lives.

“When a crash victim is brought into the emergency room, staff immediately start an IV,” Kirshenbaum said. “When nurses find their energy crashing, they need to treat themselves to something that is beautiful or uplifting such as flowers or a soothing CD of music. This can serve as an emotional IV for those days you feel completely drained.”

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