For the 23rd consecutive year, nursing has been recognized as the most trusted profession in the US, according to a 2024 Gallup poll. The world at large understands the value of nursing.
Nurses are focused and caring.
Nurses work hard and figure things out.
Nurses are smart, tough, and independent..
Nurses are truly invested in the welfare of the patient and their families.
Nurses are held to high standards.
Nurses do for a patient what they cannot do for themselves and then educate them so they can gain self-efficacy.
Nurses bear witness to the human experience, the highs and lows, the relief and the devastation.
These are all things that as nurses we hold as parts of our identity. They are just a few of the things that make us nurses, it’s not just what we do, it’s who we are.
And yet, so many of us are suffering. There comes a point for many (50-88% according to the research) that we start to feel burdened and exhausted.
Do we ask for help? No. We suffer, ashamed that we are feeling this way.
We are confused, as people who identify the statements above as core values, as WHO WE ARE, that we would be feeling lack of empathy and lack of engagement. What is happening?
Something must be wrong with us. So we keep quiet. We suffer in silence.
Many nurses won’t admit to their friends, coworkers or families that they are struggling. They fear being seen as less than…
Less than a good nurse.
The very traits that we wield as superpowers we unintentionally hold against ourselves.
Nurses are tough- I should tough it out.
Nurses are smart- I can figure this out on my own.
Nurses care about other people- I shouldn’t need to spend time or focus on myself.
Nurses are independent- I don’t need help.
Most of us don’t even realize we are thinking these things, it’s just the background track running in our brains. We are using our basic programming, inadvertently and incorrectly applying it to our own experiences.
Just gaining awareness of this can start the healing process. We need to bear witness to what is happening within ourselves, as if we are one of our patients.
We need to observe with kindness and compassion.
We need to apply patience while we learn self-efficacy.
We need to allow for imperfections (gasp) and setbacks. This isn’t a medication calculation that has to be absolutely precise, it is a life skill that takes some time.
You can feel better if you let go of the idea that you don’t need help because you are a nurse.
The first step is honesty admitting that you HAVE a problem (not that you ARE the problem). This is not a judgement of you or your abilities, it’s just the result of doing the work that you do.
Nursing is hard.
Human beings need support and rest when continually doing something hard.
Nurses are, in fact, human beings…complete with the same set of needs,
even if we are the most trusted profession.
We cannot heal or overcome something if we don’t identify that it is there. It’s not a character flaw. Once we embrace that, the relief of feeling better is on the other side.
P.S. I know what it’s like to feel alone at work, even when surrounded by people. I know what it’s like to wonder how much longer you can do this, and the sadness that comes with that thought. I have experienced these things, even working in a job that I loved. If this is what you are struggling with, reach out and let’s schedule a free consult call. I am on the other side of feeling these things and I can bring you there too.
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