The professional life of a healthcare professional is fraught with stress – a reality most Americans share. According to a nationwide poll by the American Psychological Association (APA), approximately 75 percent of Americans experience substantial stress at work and almost half have admitted his or her work productivity has decreased because of stress.
However, unlike many other industries, nurses are on the front line of patient care. Unhappy, over-stressed and anxious nurses or therapists can reduce medical care quality, leading to further medical complications for the patient and more stress on the provider. The anxiety of the profession has led to record burnout rates, which has contributed to the nursing shortage, according to NetCE. By 2020, the shortage is expected to range from 340,000 to 1 million. Burnout is a term first used to describe a human condition by the psychiatrist Herbert Freudenberger.
A travel nurse or travel therapist gains the stress of both the industry and the relocation process. A travel nurse or travel therapist is required to be constantly on her toes to meet quality healthcare standards, new facility procedures and regional differences.
Burnout is commonly viewed as a mild unhappiness caused by stress and mild distress caused by fatigue or even major depression, according to NetCE. Christina Maslach, a social psychologist and leader in the study of burnout, believes her research indicates that burnout is a social environment problem instead of an individual issue. The environment promotes emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and reduced personal accomplishment.
A travel nurse or travel therapist working to decrease the likelihood of developing burnout or increase her level of happiness can develop key strategies. Taking a proactive approach to cultivating personal and professional happiness can give a travel nurse a sense of control. Begin by choosing joy over negative emotions. Actively choosing positive emotions and responses over negative can improve outlook on life and attract more upbeat responses from coworkers and patients.
Personal reflection and exercise can increase a travel nurse or travel therapist's level of happiness. A travel nurse or travel therapist can increase her professional and personal joy by dedicating herself to reducing negative habits and focusing on the good.