Why do you think nurses often report experiencing 'burn out' and what do you do to help try to prevent that?
Being a healthcare provider is a great responsibility. Unfortunately, because of the great responsibility, many providers do report experiencing the need to take a break. The interviewer wants to know that you are capable of handling stress and that you know when to ask for help.
"I understand how some healthcare providers can experience burn out. It has nothing to do with wanting to change professions or leave a job. Sometimes it's just hard to lose patients or to feel like we can't save them all. I try to schedule myself some personal time, whether its a few days away when I am off work or going hiking. Anything to help create some balance in my life."
"I had a great mentor when I was in nursing school. She told me if I didn't remember anything else she told me, that I should always remember to take care of myself. I have grown to understand what she meant. If we are bogged down physically and emotionally, it is easy to become overwhelmed and experience feeling burned out."
"Unfortunately, I can speak from experience about burn out. When I was a new nurse, I thought I could work all the time and that I was invincible. I lost several patients within a short period of time and the toll of the loss was very overwhelming to me. Since then, I have learned how to work hard, but to also work hard at caring for myself as well."
"I believe the reasons for burn out can vary. Sometimes it may be dependent on the type of nursing speciality one works in and other times it may be as simple as the long hours the individual puts in or the amount of extra shifts one works. For me, I always like to pick up and work extra shifts to help my team out but I also always ensure I am taking some time for myself each day and week to decompress and keep myself healthy. I enjoy exercising as well as reading to help relax."
