How to Survive Nursing Profession: A Psychological Approach for New Nurses

I did 3 weeks of LTAC/REHAB. I thought, "I'm an ER nurse, I was a prison nurse before that, I can handle anything....."I have nightmares on a regular basis because of those 3 weeks in LTAC. I just had one 2 nights ago. If i'm away from the ED long enough, i begin having anxiety that the ED will turn into the LTAC and it will be equally as awful. I thank you for your post. I wish it could help me. LTC and LTAC/H are just monsters that I can't recover from. I will forever stay in acute care and I doubt I will venture very far from it.

Thank you for posting this! I have been an RN for 15 months and just got my first job. It's in a hospital and everything I prayed for. Looking for advice and this article was great. Thanks for reminding me to have patience for myself :-)

I will never understand the whole "nurses don't even have time to use the bathroom". That is the sign that you are working for a barbaric and unsafe hospital which doesn't have the slightest concern for your well being or the patients. I say, quit those jobs and find a better one (if you are able to that is). When I need to use the bathroom, it doesn't matter how busy I am, I ask someone to cover and I go. If I need to eat, I ask someone to cover and I go. Couldn't really care less about how busy I am because, funny thing is, I am a human who needs to relieve himself and eat food and drink water from time to time. Not taking care of ourselves is NOT NOT NOT in the benefit of the patient and is an insane and reckless nursing practice.

I will never understand the whole "nurses don't even have time to use the bathroom". That is the sign that you are working for a barbaric and unsafe hospital which doesn't have the slightest concern for your well being or the patients. I say, quit those jobs and find a better one (if you are able to that is). When I need to use the bathroom, it doesn't matter how busy I am, I ask someone to cover and I go. If I need to eat, I ask someone to cover and I go. Couldn't really care less about how busy I am because, funny thing is, I am a human who needs to relieve himself and eat food and drink water from time to time. Not taking care of ourselves is NOT NOT NOT in the benefit of the patient and is an insane and reckless nursing practice.Love the article! One more thing though, when are people going to realize that their are also men in this profession?

Double post...my bad!

Good article, but I also don't get how nurses claim they have no time for a bathroom break. It literally takes me not even 2 minutes to go to the bathroom...it just sseems silly to me. I also always take my breaks...it's just unsafe not to.

Thank you very much for such a thorough time relevant article.

The first step is digging deep within you and finding that confidence. It is in there, it is what got you through endless hours in nursing school. It is what you had you when you sat down to take your nursing boards. It is within you.

Nursing is the hardest job I ever had. Plus there is a LOT of back-stabbing, cliques, & competition. I look forward to retiring to get away from all of this. However, I love the residents. I miss each as they die, move, or go home. I feel pity for the few nurses that have absolutely no empathy. They go into the business just for the money. So, you need several things to be a nurse: a good back, good feet, good shoes, a tough back for the back-stabbing, a good supply of Tylenol so you can tolerate the cliques & competition, & a golden heart.

I am sorry but I quit reading after you mentioned that you do not go to the toilet when you need to go. Something about that says way more about you than it does about nursing.