January 2011 may go down in the history books for New Yorkers as the snowiest January ever. As nurses, this snowy month has created a lot of stress in our lives. When the snow storms hit we met the challenge like the other life saving professions out there i.e. our fire fighters, EMS and police.
Many nurses slept in hospitals and nursing homes for days manning extra shifts until help arrived. Homecare nurses walked through snow drifts or drove as close as they could get to a patients’ home and then walked to provide care. Some worked from home calling patients and their families to make sure they were okay. Emergency room nurses saw an increase in their census as people who had no support at home or homeless come in from the cold snow.
How do we relieve the stress from these snowy episodes? One way is to make sure you give yourself a pat on the back. Toot your own horn! Let your friends and families know what you did. Nurses do not do this enough! Some would look at this as bragging. It is not! Do you wonder why the general public doesn’t think that nurses DO anything!
As WE learn to really appreciate the the work we do, we receive the blessing from the sacrifice that we unselfishly make on behalf of our patients. Appreciation is a great stress reliever believe it or not. The fact that we CAN give to others should be appreciated by us FIRST! Don’t wait for someone else (your boss, friends or family) to do for you what you can do for yourself! Hold your head high! You are worthy to be APPRECIATED and live a life that’s STRESS FREE!
NURSES ARE THE BEST!!! Read a short article on Appreciation and stress. http://5minutestressrelief.net/FMSR%20PDF%20Files/Appreciation%20Reduces%20Stress.pdf
Life Coach RN 
Comments on: "Nurses, Stress and Snow?" (4)
I think it is a great idea for nurses to appreciate themselves and each other.
We have been brought to work on snowmobile up here in Canada! Neither wind, nor sleet, nor snow shall keep us from our appointed rounds! 🙂
Wow Stephanie. Snowmobiles! These are the untold stories of nurses dedication. Thanks for sharing.
Stephanie, where in Canada? I almost moved to Alberta, i am an RN in NY with also a license in Alberta. I love the Canadian Rockies was going to do Rural Home Care- shoot !!!! missed the snowmobiles. 🙂 regarding appreciation in our profession the coach here says be proud of what you are and do and you bet she is right: years ago as a beginning supervisor in home care I found discrepancies at the start of my new job and requested from the Director to advice billing that money is due to pay back to the Gov. and correct the billing method of the patients in error. I put it in email and praised myself for a job well done. her answer to me was:" you should really wait for praise to be given to you by others- my answer to her was:" in other parts of life modesty is the key but professionally i will pat myself on the back, make sure that the people above me KNOW it was ME with the idea and that i am great at what i do. REMEMBER: if it is not written it was not done. today I have a Director that on my first year at my manager's position brought me a gift from her vacation: something to hang in my office the saying went this way: " I AM NOT BOSSY I JUST KNOW BETTER". Those that work with me know it, but also know I am a big believer in team playing and giving others the credit deserving to them. So Nurses: WHEN YOU HAVE DONE A JOB WELL DONE LET THE WORLD KNOW IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!Leah David RN – New York