Need tips and suggestions on handling this stress please?

I'm a RN and I work on a busy cardiac floor at a major hospital. I have 10 yrs experience, so I've very confident and competent in taking care of patients.

My problem is that now I work on a floor where nurses are stretched way too thin and the assignments are NEVER fair. Sometimes my assignment is better than the other nurses, but more often my assignment is worse than the others. If I have it easier, I feel guilty......if I have it worse, I walked around totally pissed off

I need to find a way to accept when I walk in there that it won't be fair. I'm only there for 12 hours and the 12 hours will still end whether fair or not. I wish I was the type of person who would just relax, smile, and just do the best I can with what I've got......but I'm a little too short tempered and do that.......but I really wish I could.

My supv doesn't care because that's just the way nursing is in today's world......any suggestions on coping with this situation that won't get better?

I don't know if I am qualified to answer your question.I have been in the hospital many times and a nurse more so than any doctor had a major bearing on my mood .I felt that I was at their mercy and sometimes venerable to them. my thought is that maybe you should take yourself out of the equation and think about the patients that you have to care for only. Try making their stay as pleasant as possible and in doing so ,I believe it will help you feel better.Make it a game for yourself,how you can make patients on your watch feel the best. Time will then fly, and you will be wondering where the time went.Plus you will be remembered by those you have cared for.I remember to this day all the nurses that made my stay, in their care, a happy one.....Thank you......I also remember the ones who made me feel like I was an inconvenience. ...sad days.....I hope this helped.....Dont feel guity or pissed off, it shows and will be taken personally ,by those in your care....

I know I sound like a hypocrite when I say this(read my questions and you'll know why) but, God never gave you anything you can't handle.

Each challenge presents 3 opportunities. One to learn, one to overcome something, and one to improve something.

Take the high road and look for the opportunities you have been given. Replace "I can't" with "I am not willing to".

Maybe you need a vacation. It sounds like you have been stretched too thin yourself. Take care of you, so you will be better able to take care of others.

Hang in there, Sweetie. You are doing a thankless but nob;e profession. It will cause some wear and tear on your soul, but it can also fulfill you.

Remember how important you are to those you take care of. Try to focus on that rather than what's fair and what's not. How fair is it for the patients?

Take care of yourself and have a good holiday!

Most businesses today, just don't hire enough help in order to save money, and everyone that is there is overworked and stressed out, which isn't fair, but alot of us are in the same boat, and theirs not much we can do about it, except make the best of it the best way we can, or try to find ways to make it better some how. There has to be people there, that are nice, that help make the job more enjoyable. I know that there is a certain satisfaction we all get whenever we know we helped make someone feel better, or made their life a little brighter! Take care!

Given that you are a nurse (especially in a cardiac unit), I'm probably not telling you anything that you don' t already know. To deal with the stress, try working out. The endorphines from exercise are our body's own little happy pills. Maybe try exercising right before your shift. I am empathetic to your situation because not only is it not fair to you, it's not fair to the patients. With all the money the hospitals charge for patient care, you would think they would spend a little bit more money on adequate staffing. With that said, definately try working out right before your shift. That way your body will be to tired to allow that anger to take over, but pumped up enough to get you through your shift. Never allow yourself to feel guilty for the easy assignments. When you start feeling guilty about that, just remind yourself that you will be more than making up for that easier day next time and remind yourself to take full advantage of those days (there are never enough of them). Work on that part first. As far as the bad days, that's a little harder. You sound like you are a conciesious nurse and that makes you a good nurse. Working on letting go of the guilt for the easy days will help ease you into the anger on the harder days. When you get used to not feeling guilty, then start working on the anger. The next step is to realize that you are only one person. You will do the best you can. Every time you feel the anger coming on, replace the negativity with the thought that you will just have to do the best you can do and that will just have to do. Yes, you as a nurse can get into trouble for what ever may go wrong. No doubt about that. But it is the hospital that will be totally screw** when the s**t hits the fan. They are the ones who choose not to adequately staff. In the mean time, just continue exercising. Also, try to meditate. I know a lot of people poo poo this. But it is a proven method of dealing with stress. A lot of burn victims are taught to do this to help deal with the pain. You are doing noble work, please don't let polotics get you down. Continue doing the thing that is essential to so many people. You have worked to hard to give up. Good Luck!

Well, sounds like your screwed. Your Superior's know they can run the ward or business on a skeleton crew, unfortunately at your expense. Either fight the whole system to change things or move on . It sucks but it is the truth. You see these millionaire *** wipes are millionaires for a reason ..... Hurting people

Get another job, either in another hospital or in another field. Life is too short to be unhappy and stressed. When you look back on life you want to remember the good times not how much you are stressed. (I work in the healthcare field also, so I can relate!)