By Kristin Rothwell, associate editor
While most nurses agree that the nursing profession is rewarding, others will also say that some days they feel as if they’ve been run over by a steamroller after working through a seemingly nonstop shift.
It is at these times that nurses might lose sight of why they entered nursing and even wonder where their idealism has gone.
That’s why Joan Borgatti, RN, ME.d., decided to write her newest book, “Frazzled, Fried…Finished? A Guide to Help Nurses Find Balance.”
“The idea of the book is to be a springboard to begin discussion and for nurses to write things down,” Borgatti said.
As the former editor of a regional nurse magazine, she learned from talking to nurses from around the country that many shared a common theme of burnout.
She also found that nurses often devalue themselves, feeling that anyone could do what they do when, in reality, nurses live in constant stress caring for people who are dying or in terrible pain. On top of this, nurses must handle this extraordinary stress while also trying to cope with the emotions that come with caring for people and their inability to spend more time with their patients.
“What frustrates them is that they couldn’t give any more…which often leads to burnout,” Borgatti said.
In the book’s first chapter, “Assessment 101,” Borgatti helps nurses figure out their necessities beyond the basics of water, food and shelter and asks them to discern their needs and how they can be met.
As an example, nurses who desire acknowledgement from their colleagues and superiors might search it out by figuratively banging on doors and causing people to run. Borgatti suggests that readers should figure out how best to communicate their need to feel like a valued member of the team by asking in a meeting with staff members or one-on-one what they contribute to the team.
“Once the need for acknowledgement is met, they’re not chasing people away with their needs,” Borgatti said.
On the other hand, Borgatti also provides tips for how nurses can deal with toxicity from coworkers and others, such as verbal abuse. In these instances, Borgatti suggests that nurses should clearly communicate that the person’s language is not acceptable and to state consequences that can realistically result.
“Toxic coworkers and this idea of needing to be nice is a problem for me,” Borgatti said. “It’s not ‘nice’ and ‘humble’ that serve the nursing profession, but being respectful, centered with your own personal values and being strong.”
In her book, Borgatti asks, “If you couldn’t choose the word ‘nice’ to describe yourself, what words would you choose according to how you view yourself?”
“[Nurses] need to take the attitude of the military, an army of one—the idea that the army is only as strong as each individual soldier,” Borgatti said.
Borgatti said nurses also need to make an effort to clean up their psychological and physical clutter.
“[Nurses] boundaries often become blurred,” she said. “They take on other people’s problems and forget their own. Often, that mindset of fixing things—being the big caretaker—carries over to other aspects of their lives. Nurses need to find their boundaries again.”
Though many nurses might find themselves in the position of raising a family or caring for an elderly family member, Borgatti said it’s an absolute must for nurses to develop a care plan for themselves, including their own health. So often Borgatti has seen nurses provide helpful advice to their patients about quitting smoking or losing weight, but not use that same advice in their own lives.
“There’s always this idea that [nurses] don’t have permission to care for themselves,” Borgatti said. “So I ask, if you’re the patient, what would you do?”
In addition to providing suggestions on how nurses can better manage their life, she also provides insight into how nurses can better manage their vocation to bolster their passion for caregiving and to help resuscitate their career.
Borgatti recommends that nurses should follow their STAR:
S – Success on your own terms. Whether a nurse is interested in moving up the career ladder or learning new skills in another hospital department, Borgatti encourages nurses to “go for it.”
T – Follow your True north. Figure out what guides you. Is it you or someone or something else? Borgatti defines ‘true north’ as a person’s inner self.
A – Assess and understand your strengths and weaknesses. While most people know their strengths and weaknesses, they often don’t do anything to leverage their weaknesses due to fears or other excuses. Borgatti said nurses should face their weaknesses if it means boosting clinical skills during an inservice, writing an article or being involved in equipment updates.
R – Take Risks. Though it’s easier to be comfortable, risk taking allows people to further succeed, grow and seek new challenges. Borgatti said that when nurses choose to be safe, they’re also choosing to never be fulfilled. “See what you’re capable of,” Borgatti said. “There’s always failure, but you’ll probably have gotten more out of it.” She suggests that nurses try public speaking because it’s easier compared to what they do every day.
Borgatti hopes the book provides nurses with greater insight into why they feel burned out and that they’ll use the guide to find ways to eliminate their negative feelings toward nursing. However, the book also offers questions nurses can ask themselves when contemplating if they should transfer to another position, leave their job for another or retire from nursing completely.
“My hope is that they stay in nursing,” she said. “But also to know when to call a code because they can’t stay in nursing anymore.”
To help nurses weigh their decision, Borgatti offers pros and cons and suggests that nurses listen to their inner selves, find out if there are any alternatives and to talk to an employee assistance program counselor before walking away from nursing completely.
“I’m in total awe of nurses. I’ve never seen a group who doesn’t realize how extraordinary they are…If nurses fix themselves first, the profession will take care of itself.”
Click here to purchase "Frazzled? Fried...Finished? A Guide to Help Nurses Find Balance" by Joan Borgatti, RN, ME.d.
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