Burnout as a Nursing Assistant

Burnout as a Nursing AssistantThose who decide to pursue a career in the medicalfield as a Nursing Assistant set out to showcompassion and help others. Their hearts are inthe right place, but they may soon find theirminds and bodies suffering from burnout. This isthe result of continually feeling like you canotmeet your work requirements. Soon you find you arecompletely drained and exhausted due to feelingoverwhelmed. Often, the result is losing themotivation that lead you to take on that role inthe first place.

The role of a Nursing Assistant is a demanding one.One of the biggest complaints from them is thatthey have too much to do, and not enough time toget it all done. Burnout is dangerous because itaffects individuals emotionally, physically, andmentally. It is tough to see bright,compassionate Nursing Assistants leave themedical field because they have come to resent therole they have taken on. It no longer serves apurpose for them. What was once a positiveexperience has become a nightmare.The stress of burnout on a Nursing Assistant canlead to problems with their health as well as leadto depression. Often, they either quit their jobor they are fired. This leads to financialdifficulties and many times issues in theirrelationships. Nursing Assistants report burnoutin their profession is common because they areoverworked, unappreciated, confused about workexpectations and priorities, worry about jobsecurity, they are overwhelmed by the number of

responsibilities, and they do not feel their payis sufficient for the amount of duties that theyare required to perform on an ongoing basis.It is important that Nursing Assistantsunderstand burnout, and the havoc it can reap intheir professional and personal life.Understanding what burnout is, why it happens,and the signs of it can help Nursing Assistantsdeal with the situation before it spirals out ofcontrol. The first step in avoiding burnout is totake care of yourself physically and emotionally.Signs you are experiencing job burnout or soonwill be include no longer finding enjoyment inareas of your job you once really liked, becomingcynical or bitter about your job, and you arestarting to experience problems in relationshipswith co-workers, friends or family as a result ofthe conflicts of your job.Other important signs to watch for are looking for

excuses to not go to work, calling off or askingto go home early on a regular basis, becomingeasily annoyed with co-workers, envious of thosewho do enjoy their work, and not caring if you doa good job or not. It is likely you will start toexperience physical and emotional exhaustion.Being a Nursing Assistant can be stressful.However, stress and burnout are different. Theyare often confused because they signs andsymptoms of the two are very similar. The definingfactor is stress comes and goes, so the signs andsymptoms do as well. With burnout, the feelingdoesn 抰 go away, so the signs and symptoms lingerongoing.As a Nursing Assistant, you can 抰 eliminatestress, but you can help control and reduce theeffects of it. It is important to get plenty ofrest and take care of yourself. Since most of usstretch ourselves too thin with too manycommitments, see if there are areas you can cut

back in. If you have solutions to issues at work,write them down. Ask to meet with your supervisor.Explain the problems, then offer solutions. Thiswill show that you are interested in resolving theissues rather than just complaining.It is very important to take time for yourself.Relax with a warm bath or read a good book. Toooften we take care of everyone else 抯 needs atwork and at home, leaving nothing of ourselves forus! Since the healthcare profession is the topcontender for employees suffering from burnout,Nursing Assistants need to really take head ofthis advice and put it to good use early on intheir career. This will help ensure they continueto enjoy their work, offering patients the bestpossible care.PPPPPWord Count 697