Being a nurse is a rewarding career that can come with unexpected challenges. COVID-19 has shifted the way nurses traditionally work and brought to the forefront issues such as staff shortages, burnout, and the risk of job-related injuries. Now, the healthcare field is shifting its focus to AI technology as nurses pivot to learn new trends and tools that impact their daily work, all while news of hospital layoffs and nurse unemployment dominate the news cycle. All of these changes can be overwhelming and hard to keep up with. Being a nurse isn’t always easy, but the good news is that nurses can develop resilience and remain calm in the face of a changing healthcare field.
What Does it Mean to be Resilient?
Being resilient means you can bounce back, adapt to challenging situations, and even thrive in the face of adversity. You don’t always need to anticipate challenges, but when you encounter obstacles at work, having resilience will help you manage stress and move forward more effectively.
Many nurses are already resilient because they’ve had to adapt to workplace issues through teamwork, rest, and staying flexible along the way. If they overcome challenges, so can you. Below are strategies to help you grow resilient and thrive in your nursing journey.
Build Resilience by Enjoying Life Outside of Work
Practicing self-care is one of the best ways to build nursing resilience. It may seem counterintuitive, given that our culture often thrives on fast deadlines and hard work, but resting is vital to managing emotions and staying focused.
Studies have shown that when you take care of yourself through self-care strategies such as getting enough sleep, exercising, and eating well, you cultivate greater resilience.
Life is more than work or your job. While the work that nurses do is essential, you can cultivate time to rest, recharge, and engage in activities outside of nursing to enjoy life. However, it’s easy to forget that when we’re catastrophizing about depressing news or seeing potential problems down the road.
Take breaks throughout your day to relax and recharge. A little can go a long way to minimize stress down the road.
Acknowledge Difficult Feelings
Every challenge nurses face comes with its own set of emotions. A stressful issue at work can cause a nurse to feel stressed, anxious, or even angry if they perceive themselves as being mistreated. Brushing these emotions under the rug will only cause them to reappear later on.
However, when nurses become aware of their feelings instead of hiding them, they feel more relaxed and confident to show up as themselves. This process is also known as emotional intelligence.
Some people in positions of authority can let their emotions drive their actions, creating an environment of fear and negativity. But when nurses show up in the moment with compassion and empathy, patients can feel calmer, and you’llbe more effective at communicating with your colleagues.
Reach Out to Your Support Network
No one can do hard things alone. If you’re struggling in your career and feel overloaded with work, consider reaching out to your nurse team and see if they can remove some of your obstacles for you.
Other nurses may not be able to resolve your problems, but they can offer emotional support or provide guidance on your situation. Even friends and family can be there as beacons of light when you’re not feeling confident about your work life.
The healthcare space can be complex to navigate for professionals. Fortunately, other medical professionals are aware of this firsthand. Your immediate family might not have all the answers, but your friend who’s a nurse practitioner might.
If you don’t have any friends who are nurses, you can go to online nursing communities and reach out to someone who can help, or at the very least, provide their unbiased advice.
Every nurse will encounter their own set of obstacles at some point in their career. Fortunately, these challenges can foster resilience and help each nurse become more experienced and stronger in their profession.
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