Nurses are undoubtedly the backbone of the healthcare industry. They work tirelessly and dedicatedly to ensure patient care quality, deliver positive treatment outcomes, and handle emergencies. Nurses fulfill many responsibilities across multiple healthcare facilities, including hospitals, clinics, psychiatric facilities, and even at-home care.
Compared to doctors and other healthcare providers, they spend more time with patients delivering hands-on care. It’s not an understatement to state that nurses are rarely appreciated and rewarded for their dedication and commitment. They end up working long and exhausting shifts without much recognition for their hard work.
More importantly, nurses have to keep up with their education to enjoy financial stability and marketability. Balancing career and education isn’t easy, especially for a nurse working 16-20-hour shifts. Therefore, stress management is crucial to ensure a healthy work-life balance and reassess your priorities. Keep reading to explore some practical tips for stress management and pursuing your academic and career goals.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowEmbrace E-learning Platforms
Gone are those dreadful days when nurses had to rush to class after working an exhausting shift at the hospital. Modern-day digital platforms offer superior flexibility, accessibility, and convenience. You can learn at your preferable pace and prioritize higher education to advance your career.
Registered nurses must pursue an MSN degree to enjoy more flexibility in their schedules and financial security. An MSN degree can open lucrative opportunities with clinical significance, carving out an active role in diagnosis and treatment. Many nurses go on to pursue doctoral programs to explore leadership positions and teaching opportunities.
Naturally, higher academic achievements translate into greater flexibility and career advancement. But balancing education with one’s career can seem overwhelming. Professionals often wonder, can you take nursing classes online without ever setting foot in a classroom? You most certainly can, but only if you check out the right platforms.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowYou can learn at your own pace without overwhelming yourself with burdens that reflect poorly on your well-being. E-learning platforms empower nurses with the right tools to advance their careers and enjoy clinical significance.
Avoid Burdening Yourself
Do you always end up working extra shifts to appease your team leader and seem reliable? Taking on more responsibility is an excellent initiative to win over your superiors and build trust. However, burdening yourself with excessive workloads will reduce your life quality.
It’s crucial to attune yourself to your physical and mental well-being and reassess your lifestyle. Are you eating a healthy, well-balanced diet or grabbing stale coffee and donuts from the wending machine? Do you manage to get at least 9 hours of quality sleep, or are you snoozing in between your shifts?
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowLack of nutrition and sleep are the biggest culprits of most chronic and mental health illnesses. You don’t want to end up with the same conditions you are typically treating in your patients. It’s crucial to avoid burdening yourself by over-committing and taking up extra shifts. Instead, focus on creating a flexible schedule that allows you ample time off to relax and unwind.
Be sure to get a good night’s sleep and regulate eating and drinking habits to maintain your health.
Embrace Hobbies and Recreation
Nurses often complain of losing their lives, hobbies, interests, and recreational activities. Losing sight of your interests and hobbies isn’t healthy, as recreational activities help us relax and unwind.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowIt would be best to make time for all the activities that help you reconnect with your creative and fun side. Lighthearted conversations over family dinners, brunch with your friends, and enjoying a good read on the weekend allow us to de-stress. If you’re not making time for these activities, you’re not living fully. Working all the time isn’t the best strategy to live a rewarding life.
Remember, your career is one aspect of your life, no matter how significant or pivotal it may seem. You cannot allow your career to take over your entire life. Make time for all your hobbies, and take up new activities, like joining a yoga class or taking up kick-boxing.
Exercise Regularly
Nurses deal with overwhelming amounts of occupational stress while dealing with life-and-death emergencies. This stress can reflect negativity on their mindset, attitude, mental health, and even physical well-being. Therefore, it’s crucial to prioritize regular exercise to de-stress and release happy endorphins.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowExercising, be it running, cardio, or aerobics, releases feel-good hormones in the brain. It induces a surge of serotonin and dopamine – two neurotransmitters that make us feel happy and content. Getting at least three 30-minute workout sessions a week is essential to regulate your physical and mental well-being.
However, the thought of exercising can prove immensely displeasing after working a tiring shift and running around all day. It’s crucial to avoid confusing your work-related exertion with a dedicated exercise regime. Your work schedule may create fatigue, but you need a workout session to target specific muscle groups.
And you don’t have to take up a workout that makes you feel exhausted just by the sound of it. Instead, start a dance class that allows you to express yourself creatively and enjoy physical activity. Yoga is another excellent way to bust off stress and reward your body.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowSetting Priorities
As a nurse, it’s easy to set your priorities around your work to ensure your patients get the best quality care. You are so focused on providing positive treatment outcomes and alleviating their discomfort that you neglect yourself. While your work ethic is integral in supporting healthcare systems and patients, your well-being is far more critical.
As an individual and a professional, you need to set priorities around your lifestyle and work-related goals. If you aim to balance higher education with a hectic schedule, setting priorities will help you avoid over-committing yourself. It may seem challenging and arduous in the beginning, but it’s wise to start small.
Start by scheduling a week and setting priorities to reduce your workload, fulfill your obligations and carve out some me-time.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowFinal Words
The thought of embarking on a master’s or doctoral program can seem daunting if you’re overcommitted to work. Nurses enjoy higher marketability and booming demand, especially in the wake of the recent shortages of skilled physicians. It’s wise to explore positions and opportunities that allow more flexibility to support your academic endeavors.
It all starts with setting priorities so you can map out your academic journey and career goals. Clinical significance and leadership roles always come at a heavy price that nurses pay with their dedication and hard work.
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