12.3 Identifying Stress in Self
Health care professionals must recognize emerging signs of stress that may result from job demands and the nature of health care work. There are a variety of ways that stress can manifest itself. Taking action early can help to prevent workplace burnout. Burnout can be manifested physically and psychologically with a loss of motivation for one’s work. Nurses and other health care professionals must mitigate stress and burnout to sustain engagement with their profession. Failure to acknowledge the implications of professional burnout only exacerbates the cycle as stressors are transferred to remaining team members and colleagues, resulting in the potential for attrition and turnover.
Although the term “stress” often has negative connotations, it is important to remember that not all stress is considered harmful. Normal stress, also referred to as “eustress,” does not have lasting consequences and is successfully managed by the individual who is experiencing it.[1] Normal stress, when successfully managed, can increase awareness and focus, resulting in feelings of motivation and competence in the individual who is experiencing it. For example, normal stress may be experienced by a nursing student as they organize their weekly planner specifying time for class, study time, work shifts, or meeting with friends. Although the calendar looks busy, the student can use the stress resulting from a “time-constrained schedule” to motivate oneself to be efficient in completing tasks. This student may feel great satisfaction as they cross off tasks on the “to-do” list. Hopefully, as task achievement occurs, the student transitions from feelings of stress to feelings of empowerment.
Conversely, harmful stress, also referred to as “distress,” occurs when stress is not adequately self-managed. Harmful stress is reflected by physical, mental, and behavioral manifestations.[2] See Figure 12.2[3] for an illustration of an individual experiencing harmful stress. Harmful stress can lead to burnout and exhaustion, and if left unaddressed, it can have significant health implications for the individual experiencing it. Let’s return to the example of the nursing student reviewing their busy schedule. Harmful stress can be experienced by a student looking at their busy weekly schedule and feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. Rather than focusing on manageable tasks and crossing items off the list, this student is reluctant to take action and feels distress regarding where to begin. The student demonstrating harmful stress may struggle with overwhelming fatigue, irritability, and may feel overwhelmed with feelings of inadequacy at one’s ability to meet the task requirements.
Harmful stress can impact the employment setting as well. It can damage staff engagement, cause significant physical manifestations, and impede the ability of the employee to safely perform work. Harmful stress can quickly result in the breakdown of collegial relationships