Hello Queen,
My name is Kate, I am a Nurse, Mom, Wife, and Entrepreneur.
I have been a nurse since 2015. My experience ranges anywhere from ICU to IR.
I understand where you are coming from, and I’ve been there before. I was that burned-out, overworked, stressed-out, overstimulated woman who knew she wanted something different. But what the hell do you do?
At first, I thought the answer was to go back to school. And I did.
However, after almost completing my DFNP, I realized I needed to do some inner work. After pouring myself into everything self-development, I finally figured it out.
This podcast and site are the fruits of all my labors. I need to share this with other women, those who are feeling the same way.
My promise is to always inspire and motivate you to reach for more. Listen to “you” and what “you” is saying.
You did not waste your time. You are right where you should be. Right now is perfect.
Nurse Burnout
Nurse Burnout is real and It sucks. But Nurse Burnout Recovery doesn’t need to be a drag. It’s all about finding yourself again and living for what lights you up. I still have a lot of recovery to do, but I have made leaps and bounds from where I once was and I want to help you too.
in this episode, we are going to explore burnout. I know we hear it everywhere, but It is really important to identify your burnout so that you can move forward in life.
The first step is to acknowledge you have a problem right?
Although this podcast is here to help encourage your dream, No matter what that dream may be. We also need to work through our shit too.
To be transparent, My dream has been to build something of my own. A business that provides me and my family the life we wish to live. Where I can use my skills in a way that I am able to support and encourage all of you to find your happiness.
The nursing field I filled with a lot of badass women who are made to change the world.
We do it every day in our patient’s lives whether they like it or not. We are changing their future for the better. We are saving lives and protecting them. Guiding them and creating an impact one way or the other. We educate those patients and families to improve the care they are receiving and to increase their knowledge so they may make better decisions in the future.
We change lives.
Our calling is one of service. But that does not mean you have to stick to the societal version of service.
I am here to encourage you to follow your gut and move towards that scary thing that is just a dream. We will all benefit from it when you do.
But the last few years have been hell. And the healthcare system is damaged. We have been damaged.
Burnout is very real and like I said, we need to identify and move forward.
No more living with it. We have to move.
In a survey published in 2022, healthcare workers stated that 89% considered leaving their professions and the main reason was burnout.
I want to bring this to you Because I have felt this for
Really long time, and that thing is “healthcare has done a great job at manipulating us to think we need to do more, We need to understand more, We need to care more, It’s us we are the problem.
I stumbled upon this amazing article by Vallire Hooper.
She states that nurses have been told that taking care of themselves is key. Yes, we do need to make ourselves a priority but it does not change the continuous strains of the healthcare system on us.
To directly quote her “Nursing wellbeing is a primary consequence of work environment issues, of having one’s basic human needs met in the work environment”
Needs like proper pay, protection, and support.
She states that “nurse burnout does not result from an individual’s failure to pursue wellbeing, nurse burnout is a result of a failed health care system.”
So yes, it is our environment that has fucked us up. But I don’t see them signing us up for therapy, or helping us figure our shit out.
So here is my soap box for today.
We have to do it ourselves no one is going to save us, If leaving healthcare is what you need to do. Let’s do it together. Just because you leave the hospital does not mean you are not serving anymore.
Okay, So To Break This All Down What Is Burnout?
burnout is by definition “physical, emotional and, or mental exhaustion, with a decrease in motivation, dissatisfaction in performance and poor attitudes for oneself and others.”
Burnout is also a side effect of work-life balance issues (moms)!
Some signs and symptoms are as follows: fatigue, dissatisfaction with work, tension headaches (remember our talk about chronic stress…), and the list can go on and on.
You know it, You can feel it, You need to accept it and start moving forward.
This was really hard for me as an ICU nurse, ya know I can do anything. I am a fucking indestructible badass. Until I am not. I hated dealing with difficult patients. I hated the administration telling me what to do. I hated anything that made my day harder. I mean understandable, but when you are off shift and all you want to do is sleep, or distract yourself with social media and binge TV series while complaining that you don’t make enough money and when you see people living the life you want you just state “well it must be nice” That is burnout.
But this podcast is not about me, Let’s get back to it
HOW THE HELL DO I FIX BURNOUT THEN?
You’re most likely saying Yes, yes, yes… and now what the hell are you supposed to do about it?
All the things you definitely don’t want to do that’s for sure.
The best way to climb out of the burnout hole is to prioritize yourself.
Eating properly, moving your body, getting therapy to heal your traumas (cause nursing is trauma, I do not care what you say, that’s my unpopular opinion). Creating a routine and setting boundaries.
Taking a break, Finding a way to take a break.
If you’re still as lost as I was. Just remember baby steps are all it takes. I don’t want to overwhelm you. My job here is to help and guide you, not freak you out.
I know I have talked about my workbook here but I am going to do you one better.
I am developing a course that will help guide you through all the steps needed to beat burnout and find your happy place again. I want you to move forward as I did, but I am gonna do you one better. I am gonna save you so much time and put everything except the therapy lol in one place.
If you’re not ready yet for a course. Keep listening to this podcast. Every week I am going to be bringing you experts and advice to change your life and elevate you to that next level.
I am looking for women who are nurses and want to go after your dreams. Who want more but don’t know how to reach it. Who feel stuck and are ready to make moves.
Join the tribe and subscribe.
What if you listened every week? What would happen? What could happen?
I can’t wait to see you next week when we talk about how to work through your values and find alignment for your future.