I have been an RN for a little over a year. I absolutely love my job (most days) but I am having trouble not bringing the job home with me. I know that caring is the core of this profession, and without it I would not be the kind of nurse I want to be, but it has really begun to take a toll of my life at home. I love my job, but I dont want to have it be the center of my thoughts-when Im at home. For those of you who have found something that helps you leave work at work, any ideas? Thanks.
Katie
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March 13th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
Katie,
I work in peds heme/onc and very much understand how hard it is for you. I brough dead and dying kids home to my fiance every day for over a year and it was excruciating for both of us. A friend who is a soldier once told me that people in professions like ours can’t talk about what we do with people who don’t do it without it impacting them too. It was great advice, and the moral was if you have to let it out, do it with someone who goes through it too. All I can tell you is that slowly, eventually, you can learn to care at work but still leave your feelings at work. I took a lot of baths, drank a few bottles of wine, and learned that if I needed to vent often other colleagues were great for listening – while I was at the hospital. Tivo bad tv, buy some great books, take up a hobby you loved before nursing school robbed you of all your free time…but tell yourself over and over that when your body is at home, your mind should be too. you’ll still have days you want to vent over a drink but it’ll be normal work griping (like the people who work in cubicles do) and not what you’re going through now. It took me more than 18 months for it to start working but I’ll have been a nurse for 2 years in July and I’m able to stay doing what I do and love. If I hadn’t learned to distance myself, I would have had to quit nursing or gone crazy. Good luck – it will get better!
Heather
March 19th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
It takes time to leave work at work. You might try sitting alone after your work is done and re-checking your assignment sheet to make sure you did all you were suppose to do and review what concerns or is bothering you. If you are able it might make sense to have some “me” time before you arrive home (if you have a family waiting for you) and if not go home and relax. Take a bath, review your mail, put some music on……chill a bit. Good luck.