StReSs

 Work was especially stressful this weekend. One of those times that make you question why you became a Nurse in the first place. I heard a complaint that management is responsible for boosting moral. I am not going to dwell on this but we are all guilty of not encouraging each other as peers. I rarely hear any kind of praise from my co-workers. Not saying that I am great at encouragement but I will say that I make an effort.

I wish I could recreate the scenario that I faced on Sunday and the actions and reactions of the people that I had to work around. Lucky for them HIPAA laws do not allow me to discuss things of this nature on a public forum. My biggest wish is that I could be a part of a team that encourages each other and are proud of what they do. Not one of the regular co-workers that I work with likes their job. This is not private information or else they wouldn't tell everyone in earshot how dissatisfied they are with what they do.

I wrote an article for a Working Nurse Magazine where I interviewed several nurses about their jobs. Not one of them had anything negative to say and they were extrememly proud to be a member of the team that they worked with. One unit actually participates together yearly in a triathalon. Sitting here it makes me feel really sad that I do not belong to a team like that (I have a lump in my throat). I yearn to be a part of a team that's proud of what they do.

Each one of us is responsible for our own happiness. It is really difficult to listen to complaining for over 12 hours a day and it not be contagious. What do you say? I have been known to just say I don't want to hear it, don't ruin my day. That's not tactful or nice, but when someone comes in to work constantly griping you just can't help yourself.

Anyhow, I hope I don't treat people the way I was treated yesterday by the nurses I encountered. I'm not complaining I just wish it could be better. I try really hard to understand other's reasons for being negative and unkind to others. Gosh-darn-it, I feel absolutely terrible if I treat someone untoward. Why don't other people feel that? Do they feel it and don't care? Are they just so used to feeling mean and unhappy that they don't know any better?

How does it feel to be that stuck in a negative rut? I dunno, and I don't plan on finding out. I have learned one thing and that is that negative begets negative. How can you feel good when all you do is gripe and complain? It's impossible to feel good when you dwell on everything negative, it just is.