Overcoming the Top Five Challenges in Nursing

• This profession has many challenges in nursing. From trauma and stressful patient situations to long shifts and overstaffing. All these combined add up and take a toll on one’s own health. 
• Addressing even just one or two of these challenges in nursing can make you better prepared as a nurse and make this a sustainable profession. 
• All these tips to these top challenges in nursing promote best practices for one’s own mental, emotional, and physical well-being. A less distracted, distraught, disengaged, sleep deprived nurse will result in better patient care. 

Nursing is a very noble and well-paid profession, but it is also full of challenges. We have to deal with many stressful situations.  

Chaotic shifts, long working hours, overtime, and ongoing exposure to trauma and death may take a toll on a nurse’s mental health and overall well-being.  

Even in these high-stress and challenging scenarios, we can foster healthy ways to survive and maintain a healthy lifestyle.  

Top Challenges in Nursing

I am an experienced nurse with 10 years of experience in different areas including the intensive care unit.  

Here are some challenges in nursing that I faced during my career and the tips I used to cope with them. 

Long Shifts

Being a nurse, we usually work 12 hours shifts and depending upon workload, these shifts can be even longer. Working for such long hours is mentally and physically draining. Continuous working and staying mentally attentive can result in burnout and anxiety. 

Tips  

• Do not compromise your health.  
• Take a break for at least an hour to rest, revitalize, and unwind.  
• Speak your heart out and share your thoughts and emotions with your co-workers.  
• Have nutritious and healthy foods and snacks to keep your energy levels up. 
• Take complete rest and good sleep after the shift is over. Ask your home mate or friends to help with your house chores.  

Varying Schedules

Shifts keep changing from one week to the other.  

One week a nurse can be working the night shift and the other week she will be on the day shift. Repetitive changes in schedule disturb the routine, work-life balance, and sleep patterns.  

It is hard to adjust to such changing schedules and fulfill personal commitments. 

Tips  

• Try to take as much rest as you can between the shifts. 
• Avail your break times. 
• Ask your family and friends to make commitments according to your schedules or during your time off.
  

Understaffing

Understaffing can lead to a hectic work environment.  

Due to staff shortage, you may have to deal with mandatory overtime. Healthcare facilities are facing a shortage of nurses therefore, they ask their existing staff for extra shifts or overtime to manage the workload and provide patient care.  

Understaffing can also result in an increased patient-to-nurse ratio. One nurse has to take care of many patients at a time which decreases the quality of care and increases the chances of errors, and dissatisfaction.  

Tips  

• Ask for help from your co-workers. 
• Instead of burnout, leave the place when it comes to your breaking point. Go for a vacation and take a break. 
• Raise your voice for your rights and ask the management for more hiring to manage the workload.  
• Go for other opportunities with fewer work hours or flexible timings.   

Professional Burnout

Long work hours, increased workload, difficulty in providing quality care, and compromised health can lead to dissatisfaction with the job and professional burnout. Lack of motivation and support from the organization and a suffocating workplace environment can put a strain on the physical and mental health of nurses.  

It may make you feel the symptoms of depression, headaches, negative thoughts, and even suicidal thoughts. In such scenarios, many nurses tend to leave the job or profession for good.  

Tips 

• Make a habit to perform healthy activities like walking, exercising, joining a gym, etc. It will help you to clear your mind and release stress. 
• Try to meditate, it will help you to let go of negative thoughts. You can use different meditation, breathing exercises, or yoga apps. 
• Never hesitate to visit a psychologist if you feel symptoms of anxiety or depression. It will help you to change your perspective. 
• Socialize with other healthcare professionals, share your thoughts, listen to their stories, and visit different nursing forums. It will help you to regain your positive attitude, motivation, and passion. 
• When it comes to your health leave the place and take a break or go for other options. 
  

Dealing With Trauma or Death

Seeing your patient dying in front of your eyes is painful and you feel helpless. Caring for a patient for a long time naturally develops the emotions of love, affection, and deep concern.  

It truly hurts watching a patient go with the knowledge of inevitable reality that the patient’s family has yet to accept. 

Sometimes, patients come with trauma or injury and cry in pain and agony. These situations become very challenging for a nurse.  

• Accept the reality that death is inevitable 
• Grieve is good for you. Give yourself time to grieve don’t hold it inside. 
• Share your feelings with your friends and family. 
• Meditate or perform breathing exercises. 
• Take a break and go for a vacation.  

The Bottom Line

Truth is, not everyone is cut out for this job. It isn’t for the weak. The ones who do stick it out, challenges persist. These challenges in nursing are almost inevitable, but it’s up to oneself to be your own advocate, and take care of your mental, emotional, and physical well-being for one’s own sake, and of the patient’s.

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