I’ve been blessed to use my Integrative Nurse Coaching skills at a local hospital to focus on enhancing the wellbeing of fellow Nurses. As a recovering burned out Nurse, turned Integrative Nurse Coach®, I am perfectly positioned to empathize and understand what Nurses do on a daily basis and how I can support and love on them.
Today while rounding in the ED, I shared a healing opportunity with a hard-working Nurse. As I explained what a Healing Circle was, and that I wanted to personally invite her to attend, she said, “That’s nice. I don’t get to take a break. None of us do, so we won’t be there.”, and she turned her back to me.
At first, I was flabbergasted, I felt the rush of blood to my face. I stopped a quick thoughtless rebuttal, and instead took three long inhales and exhales and then I asked her, “Why do you think that is, that you don’t get to take a break?” She replied, “because we don’t have time, and we do it to ourselves.” And she walked away.
Her response made me sad and it also had me thinking about the second part of her reply…” we do it to ourselves.”
Not Having Time to Take a Break
I recall being at the bedside in the ICU and often not having time to take a break because I wanted to do something extra special for my patient, or to catch up on something because it took longer than expected to do a dressing change, or because I helped another Nurse with her patient as they coded, and I got backed up on all the things I had to do for my patients, or because I my patient’s family need a deeper explanation about the status of their loved one, and that takes extra, special care.
I wanted to give extra special care. That’s why I got into Nursing!
It’s Hard for Nurses to Find Time to Take a Break
I know it’s hard to find time to take a break, and it still becomes a choice we make. Take a break, or don’t take a break. I learned the hard way, of burning out that taking a break is imperative for survival!
I completely understood her response, and yet since I’ve begun healing from extreme burnout over the past 10 years, I also felt a sense of sadness. Sadness that this kind of avoidance of caring for self is occurring and even more so today than 10 years ago.
Provision 5 of the Nursing Code of Ethics
I recall Provision 5 of the Nursing Code of Ethics, which states, “The Nurse owes the same duties to self as to others, including the responsibility to promote health and safety, preserve wholeness of character and integrity, maintain competence, and continue personal and professional growth.”
The Nurse owes the same duties to SELF as to others. Self is before others.
Realistically, we all know that if we don’t care for ourselves, it becomes increasingly harder and harder to care for someone else and do it well. Yet we Nurses still don’t fully care for ourselves at work and do things like, take a break, go to the bathroom when we first feel the need and not wait until we are desperate, or attend community events like a Healing Circle.
So, I went down the rabbit hole of looking into how Nurses viewed their roles in healthcare today and found a 2023 survey of American Nurses completed by AMN Healthcare.
2023 Survey Says Nurses are Less Satisfied than in 2021
The 2023 survey shows that Nurses are less satisfied with their healthcare jobs than in 2021. People outside of healthcare I speak with often think the healthcare environment has improved since the pandemic. This 2023 AMN Healthcare survey shows otherwise.
Over 18000 Nurses responded to the survey 65% of them work at the bedside. Mental health and wellbeing were a top priority, with over 70% of respondents expressing their job negatively affected their health.
Nurses Experience a Great Deal of Stress
Four out of five Nurses experience ‘a great deal’ of stress at work, which is up 16% since 2021 and only 20% of Nurses use their employee-offered mental health programs.
This is where Nurse Coaches can make a HUGE impact, by focusing on the wellbeing of fellow Nurses!
“Nursing should not be a sacrifice, but one of the highest delights of life.” Florence Nightingale, 1897
Even though that particular Nurse I met in the ED that day didn’t appear, in that moment, to value what I shared with her, I truly believe that showing up with an open heart, offering events, special touches, love, judgement free attitudes, and knowing ourselves so well that we can stop, take a breath, and respond with empathy and curiosity instead of anger and frustration WILL make a difference.
So, I keep showing up day after day, with my open heart, and I know you do too.
Keep going, keep showing up and sharing your gifts. You are needed and you are loved.
Nicole Vienneau MSN, RN, NC-BC is a recovering burned-out ICU Nurse. Through Integrative Nurse Coaching and holistic modalities, she’s on the daily voyage to well-becoming.
Nicole is founder Restoration Room and Blue Monarch Health, an author, podcast host of the Integrative Nurse Coaches in ACTION!, holds a board certification in Integrative Nurse Coaching and combines 20+ years of Nursing with 30+ years of fitness, health coaching and energy work to partner with mid-life women and healthcare workers who want to THRIVE!
She loves her husband, her two crazy cats and enjoys being in nature and having fun.
