One nurse’s recount on how Our Journey helped her get through difficult times
Everyone handles stress differently. Some thrive under pressure while others buckle under pressure, whichever one it is, I think we can all agree that too much of anything, isn’t a good thing and seeking help might be more productive than letting things be.
Nursing is a tough profession, it involves round the clock care, managing people, patients and their family members, needless to say, to be in this line, you have to be pretty tough.
In order to find out how she handles stress in times of understaffing, we interviewed a senior staff nurse that took on a considerable amount of workload to ensure smooth operations of a nursing home.
What made you decide to seek help?
“I found myself in a position where I had to take on multiple roles due to the home being understaffed. On top of my usual duties as a senior staff nurse, I had to play the role of an interim operations executive and still be on the ground.” Having to juggle different types of roles, managerial, operational and front-facing, took a serious toll on her mental health. She decided to call Our Journey for their counselling services after attending a few of their stress management workshops.
How has the experience been ?
“It has been very helpful because I was able to look at things from another perspective. Certain traits about myself were identified and I was able to adapt. For one thing, I learnt to look at the worries of different groups of people and was able to manage expectations because I understood their concerns.”
What are some changes you felt since counselling ?
“Even though at times, I would have to take on additional roles, I was able to better manage people around me, this has helped me with my workflow and organisation which greatly reduced my stress levels. I was also better able to communicate my concerns to my boss because I understood my emotions better. This helped him see that my work was in fact too much and adjustments were then made.”
As someone working in this profession, what would you say is the hardest part of the job?
“I think generally, this line of work is emotionally challenging but one of the most difficult things would be to handle the issues of the patients and their families.”
What do you think has been your biggest takeaway ?
“I am now able to process my feelings and learn not to stress over things that are not within my control. This has been quite a game changer because it has changed my management style and has motivated me to find solutions to problems within the workspace. I am also not personally affected when things do not turn out as planned.”
Why would you recommend this to people?
“I think everyone at some point should see a professional when it comes to managing stress. Even though you might feel okay, it is actually very useful in helping you understand your strengths and weaknesses which can be extremely beneficial in a work environment. The experience might also help you see things from a different perspective, which can be helpful in managing relationships.”
Stress is inevitable, but learning how to properly manage it can be highly effective. Reach out to us today.
