Sleep deprived walking like a Zombie can be Nursing Burnout

 

Rarely do you hear people talk about how rested they are and how wonderful they feel. The general conversation is “I am worn out”, “I woke up at 2am and couldn’t go back to sleep” Nurses walk the halls taking care of other people’s needs in a blur. On their feet moving, answering to 5- 10 – 15 patients needs on 5 hours or less of sleep. There are physiological Lack of

Sleep Side Effects Snoring…Insomnia…Depression.

–    Lack of sleep can cause acute muscle pains. You may have experienced this offhand after a night of incomplete sleep.

–   Dizziness, nausea and headaches are well known side effects of lack of sleep. These side effects are tangible even after two consistent nights without much sleep.

 –  Irritability is probably the first visible side effect of lack of sleep. It is normal for someone who hasn’t slept well at night to be irritable the next day.

 –  Memory loss and hallucinations are also acute lack of sleep side effects. In fact, the sad part about these side effects is that when you complain about it, seldom will someone believe you, right?

 –   A person having sleep deprivation is much more susceptible to having diabetes type 2 as compared to someone who gets the required amount of sleep.

 –  In fact, it has been researched and found that lack of sleep side effects at an acute level, resemble those of psychosis or attention deficit hyperactivity syndrome. Yes, scary!

In less than an hour after lunch today I heard someone say “I am walking in a fog, I feel like a zombie”

You have done it – we all have. You gave, and gave until there was nothing left to give any more. You might feel  overworked, bored, or not appreciated at your job.. like a flickering flame, burned out candle, your battery was drained and you energy spent – you feel used, empty and exhausted.

It’s not that you don’t want to help, but that you can’t! Your exhausted.

You might feel that “Something is wrong with you” or “You are too weak or incompetent to handle this job.”

Burnout has three main characteristics (Maslach, 1982)

    exhaustion (i.e. the depletion or draining of mental resources);

    cynicism (i.e. indifference or a distant attitude towards one’s job); and

    lack of professional efficacy (i.e. the tendency to evaluate one’s work performance negatively, resulting in feelings of insufficiency and poor job-related self-esteem)

So what causes job burnout?

Lack of control: This is an employee’s lack of influence on decisions that affect their job.  Examples include hours of work, which assignments they receive, and an inability to control the
amount of work that comes in.

    Unclear job expectations: Examples include uncertainty over what degree of authority an employee has and not having the necessary resources to complete work.

    Dysfunctional workplace dynamics: Examples include working with an office bully, being undermined by colleagues or having a boss who micromanages your work.

    Mismatch in values: If personal values differ from the way an organization does business or handles employee grievances, it will wear on employees.

    Poor job fit: An employee working in a job that doesn’t fit their interests and skills is certain to become more and more stressed over time.

    Extremes of activity: When a job is always monotonous or chaotic, an employee needs constant energy to remain focused, leading to energy drain and job burnout

The first person we have to take care of is our self. Lack of sleep compounds the issues that we deal with in a high stressed area. It pollutes our thought and makes the small things seem so big.
Does this sound like you? No sleep – Zombie – worn out. Taking a nap is the best place to start.

Be well.

Angela Brooks Speaker, author of “The Nurse Voice”, social media expert that has revolutionized MLM with social Media. She is setting a model of how to build relationships online, through social media, blogging and email. She was also named #22 in the Top 50 Blog of 2012, She is #2 in over all team volume, teaching her team to how to do business outside the box.