Common Causes of Stress in Nurses
Healthcare providers are some of the unsung heroes of our country. This is especially true of the nurses and CNAs who work tirelessly while exposing themselves to illness in order to help patients recover. But being a hero comes with a cost, and for countless nurses this includes a significant amount of stress.
This stress can lead to burnout which can cause even the most devoted of healthcare professionals to leave their field. Knowing the common causes of stress in nurses can help these people recognize and avoid caregiver burnout.
Coworkers
Surprisingly, one of the more common causes of stress in nurses isn’t aggressive patients or the physical toll of constantly being on one’s feet—it is other healthcare providers. For some, this may involve feeling pressured by coworkers or not getting along with them (possibly because they too are experiencing burnout).
But it may also include breakdowns in communication or poor cooperation. This scenario can cause stress in any setting, but when the health of others is on the line, this can multiply our stress levels and make even simple tasks difficult.
Patients
Patients in hospitals and nursing homes are often undergoing some of the most stressful moments of their lives. They are often in pain or dealing with conditions that can cause mood changes. Because of this, some patients are prone to becoming aggressive or belligerent, and nurses often have to take the brunt of these foul moods.
Most patients are not trying to be difficult or bothersome. Just as often, kind and mild-mannered patients can add to a nurse’s stress, not because they have done something wrong, but because the nurse so badly wants to help them become well. The constant emotional strain of caring for people at difficult moments in their lives is why some call caregiver burnout “compassion fatigue.”
Job Environment
Nurses and CNAs can be found in a variety of environments such as hospitals, private practices, or nursing homes. These different environments all have different sources of stress. Hospitals have patients dealing with traumatic or life-threatening injuries and illnesses which are often the most difficult to treat. Nursing homes, on the other hand, involve working with dementia patients who need constant intensive care.
Whatever the location, being a nurse or CNA is a physically challenging position. Constantly being on one’s feet, having ten- or twelve-hour shifts, and having to physically move patients can take a toll on the body and mind after a while.
By understanding what nurses go through, we can adjust our healthcare facilities to help avoid burnout. This is the first step in taking care of the nurses and healthcare providers who care for us.