I've seen many nurses being outright furious at the little things throughout their shift - throwing things, screaming, making a complete scene. If it isn't the pharmacy, it's someone hitting their call light 900 times because they can't find their phone charger, or even a provider calling you while you're in the bathroom. I understand. I have been there. And yes, it can be quite annoying. Sometimes, the entire shift is filled with nothing but stressful encounters. But, you can't let these isolated events alter your mindset. In the past, I found myself in an annoyance blackhole. And as the hours passed, the tension would build and build until I lost it on someone over something completely minor. As I've come to understand nursing is generally chaotic, I've learned to manage the annoyances appropriately and professionally.
Now when these same situations occur, I redirect myself. Is this one thing really that serious? Or is being on my feet for 10 hours straight the real issue? Is this an exhaustion rage, or is this an issue regarding patient safety? I try to find the real reason why I'm upset first and go from there. I also wear a focus token, an item that redirects me towards my professional purpose, which is to help people. Yeah, the pharmacy lost my patient's medication. Yes, that's annoying, but I need to follow-up for my patient's sake. My current token is a little, thin red bracelet. If I'm not wearing it, I draw a star on my report sheet, and when I'm stressed, I look at it.
The goal is to have a focus point to redirect, process, and defuse your frustration while you process acute, current issues at work. Being annoyed doesn't mean you don't care, you actually care a lot. People who don't care aren't bothered by small or large things, because they have no vested interest in the job at all. Being annoyed isn't against the professional code, but lashing out and being unprofessional is. There is a difference. I'm breathing on my own, I have use of all my extremities, and my family is healthy and safe. I remind myself of this often during work. Even when it is "bad," it is not bad-bad. You are more appreciated than you will ever know. Find your focus points, and keep being awesome.
Category: Fundamentals 
