An Important Tip for Reducing Nurse Burnout Is Changing From Working in Facilities to Becoming a Home Health Care Nurse
Burnout makes you feel like you can’t keep doing what you used to love doing. Nurse burnout is on the rise for several reasons. Regardless of the cause of your disenchantment, Pegasus can help you regain your enthusiasm for nursing.
What Is Burnout?
Almost every job generates a certain amount of stress. Stress occurs when you’re overwhelmed by demands. You believe that you’ll feel better if you can get everything under control.
Although stress may continue for several days, it doesn’t last. Things change, and your stress is relieved.
Burnout lasts. When you’re burned out, you lose hope of change. You put in your time as best as you can. You’re mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted.
As well as a negative impact on your career, burnout affects your home and social life. Additionally, stress can weaken your immune system.
Symptoms of nurse burnout include:
- Fatigue even after a night’s rest
- Inability to enjoy non-work activities
- Dreading going to work, but not happy at home
- Feeling resentful and cynical at work
- Feeling detached from patients
As the symptoms increase, you begin to feel like you’re a failure as a nurse.
What Causes Burnout?
Career nurses have long been subject to job-related stress. Traditional sources of stress include:
- Physical demands of the work
- Long hours
- Facing sickness and death daily
- Bureaucracy
- Lack of appreciation
Coping with new technology and changes in the work environment can create more stress.
Although stress differs from burnout, chronic stress can lead to burnout. When you’re burned out, you lose your sense of accomplishment. You suffer and the care you provide your patients may suffer.
If you’re a victim of nurse burnout, you’re not alone. Statistically, more than 40% of nurses working in hospitals suffer from burnout. Another 43.2% report emotional exhaustion.
Becoming a Home Health Care Nurse Can Alleviate Burnout
Experts have a variety of tips for overcoming nurse burnout. These include:
- Meditating
- Spending time with non-nurse friends
- Taking breaks
- Exercising
- Taking a vacation
- Eating healthy
These are all good ideas if you can create the time and opportunity to do them.
Another suggestion that might be more doable is to change your specialty or career. Home health care is a viable option for many nurses. They continue to provide patient care, but the stress is significantly less.
One of the factors leading to nurse burnout is long shifts. Many facilities are understaffed. Supervisors may be unaware or ignore staffing problems.
Pegasus home health nurses set their own schedules. You can choose:
- How many days a week you work
- Which days you work
- How many hours each day you work
- What hours you will work
You gain the time you need for family and social activities as well as time for yourself.
Another issue for many nurses is dashing from one patient to another. There’s little opportunity to discuss their illness or difficulties. You have to fight for charts and opportunity to update them.
Home health care is much different. You’re often seeing the same patients long-term and providing one-on-one care. There’s time to fully understand their needs.
Patients also learn to trust and confide in you. They’ll give you information about their medical history that they haven’t told others. They’ll also tell you stories about their lives and how they got to where they are now.
You also have the opportunity to observe how patients function in their home environment. That enables you to improve their safety and care. You achieve the home care goal of keeping patients as independent as possible.
One of the benefits that are most appreciated by home health nurses is the time between patients. Your travel time allows you to:
- Decompress between patients
- Update charts in peace and quiet
- Get some exercise
- Have a nice lunch or take care of personal errands
That time helps you give your best to your next patient.
Join Our Team to Rejuvenate Your Career
Pegasus Home Health Care is owned and operated by nurses who understand the needs of your career. We provide the support and training you need to prevent burnout. As a family organization, we are always there for you.
Pegasus is a licensed Home Care Organization and a Joint Commission Accredited Home Health Care organization. You’ll be working with dedicated experts and helping a variety of patients every day. Our clients receive the highest standards of care at all times.
Members of our team are supported in meeting their goals for personal and professional growth. We proudly provide an environment in which our nurses and professionals:
- Express ideas
- Feel valued and appreciated
- Suggest innovations
We are always willing to listen to any concerns that you have.
If you’re facing nurse burnout, it’s time to reignite your passion. Make Pegasus Home Health Care your new professional home. We’ll help you provide the quality care you’re trained to do without all the stress.
