The life of a nurse can be extremely hectic. Your job is stressful and fast-paced, involving long hours helping others. You also may have personal responsibilities outside of your job. Going back to school to earn your Registered Nurse (RN) to Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree can add even more stress, although flexible options like the online RN to MSN program from The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) can minimize the challenges of scheduling and time management.
Regardless, it can be easy to let the stress of nursing get to you. To manage all of this, it is important to find ways to achieve peace and relaxation when you feel overwhelmed. The following are actions you can take, big or small, to leaven and manage the stress of nursing.
Take Baby Steps
Juggling multiple responsibilities at a hectic pace is only possible for a short while. When you add MSN coursework, time management becomes even more important. To balance your responsibilities, try taking just one small step at a time.
For example, rather than trying to complete an entire assignment in one sitting, block off just 15 or 30 minutes at a time. By breaking a project into its parts, your efforts will quickly accumulate, and you will accomplish more than you might have expected with less stress. Further, the inherent flexibility of the online education model can help facilitate your ability to complete studies whenever works for your schedule — and for your well-being.
Make a List
It is easy to get stuck when looking at so many tasks at once; you might not know where to begin. At times like this, write down a list of three small tasks to get you started. Once you knock a few items off your list, you will feel less stressed and more motivated to keep going. Keep making short lists like this as you go. The key is just to get started, then keep moving forward. You will find this can help in all aspects of your life.
Reach Out for Help
As a nurse, you are used to caring for others. It can be difficult for people who are most comfortable as caregivers to receive or ask for help. However, everyone needs a helping hand at some point, especially when dealing with a job and nursing school stress. When everything you need to do feels overwhelming, reach out and ask others for help. Each situation requires help from different people. Ask mentors, family members, friends and neighbors.
Maintain Healthy Boundaries
The word “no” is short yet powerful, and although you may not want to, you should use it. Sometimes saying “yes” to too many activities and responsibilities can lead to burnout. As someone who already said “yes” to two meaningful pursuits — a nursing career and a degree program — you need to find ways to simplify your routine and start saying “no” to nonessential activities. Do this within reason and whenever practical, and you will still be able to say “yes” to essential activities and those that improve your overall well-being.
Stress is very common, especially for those who are working and completing a master’s degree program, such as an online MSN program. Do not let the stress of nursing get the best of you. Practice the strategies outlined here and watch the stress fade away.
Learn more about UTA’s online RN to MSN program.
