Blog

When I first became a nurse I thought I was going to change the world, set it on fire and impose all my great pearls of wisdom I had just learned! I was going to be the super nurse who had all the answers, took charge and lead the team. I was going to educate all my patients, who of course we’re going to take all my advice, handouts, and pamphlets, apply it to their lives and then return to thank me for changing their ways. The vision was great, it gave me goosebumps to think I am a NURSE and I am going to part the seas with my knowledge, strength, and determination!
Well, ten years later and numerous positions under my belt I can say some of those expectations held true, and some were completely unrealistic.
There was a time in my career I thought I had it all together, I thought I was unstoppable and somewhat untouchable. I thought I had reached Super Nurse status. But I came to learn with time that when you feel you have reached that or you feel you can do no wrong, then the world will quickly humble you. It will usually be a jolt of harsh reality that’s going to hurt your ego and take your pride down with it! But the lesson that comes out of it will be worth it.
For me it came when I was working as an On Call Triage Hospice Nurse, I was 26 years old, had been in the position for a little over a year, and had 6 years of nursing experience. The position was great and I absolutely loved palliative care. I was the go-to nurse, the one they called when they needed great customer service, the one who trained new recruits and who got the really “tough” cases to handle. So naturally my ego soared and I felt that they couldn’t do without me. Insert the feelings of Super Nurse here!
Well, soon after these feelings started to swell the feeling of “burn out” quickly followed. I was overworking myself and starting to dread my shifts. The thought of solving one more problem or dealing with another complex case was feeling like a huge burden. My actual downfall was not opening my mouth and expressing my feelings to my supervisor. I kept all my anguish inside because I told myself that I didn’t want to be seen as a complainer or not capable of doing the job. In reality, I didn’t speak up because of my own pride. I didn’t want to admit that the growling pace I had set for myself was starting to backfire, that I couldn’t keep up anymore with my own standards and maybe I overestimated my own Super Nurse powers! I definitely didn’t want to say those words aloud, because for me that would be equalivent to failure. So instead I tiredly dragged myself through shift after shift until I just couldn’t handle the pressure that I mentally put on myself and I resigned from the position.
At first, I was relieved to be out of that situation and moving on to a new opportunity but I quickly realized that the problem wasn’t the position it was ME! The feeling of having to be in charge, responsible for everyone, and dedicated to a fault was my own doing. I was never going to make it further in this career path if I didn’t start getting out of my own head and setting real boundaries for a healthier work environment.
First, you need to realize that you alone can NOT solve, fix, or change every problem that is thrown at you. It is not your responsibility to hold up the world alone. Ask for help. This doesn’t show your weakness, but your strength to take care of your patients with your feelings aside.
Second, you need to realize that you are replaceable. Although it may sound harsh, it’s the truth. Before you, there was a great nurse, and after you, someone will rise to the occasion to take your place. Nursing is no different than the real world. So make sure you are putting your work life in perspective, with your personal life. Don’t let it absorb your time, energy or mental clarity when you are away from work.
And lastly, learn to prioritize. We work within an interdisciplinary team for a reason. Each team member has their purpose and you are not above or better than any of them. Use your team to your advantage, you can’t address every issue for a patient or family, so instead politely direct them to the person whose job it is to fix it.
You are not a Super Nurse, you don’t want to be a Super Nurse, and you are actually better then any version of that Super Nurse you have in mind.
So use your team wisely, remember your dedication is to your patient not to your ego, ask for help when you need it, and always leave the patients a little better than how you found them.