5 Most Effective Stress Reduction Techniques for Nurses

5 Most effective Stress Reduction Techniques for Nurses

 

   The workplace stress represents a major health problem for many employees.  Especially when we are talking about chronic stress, which represents the stress accumulated on a longer period of time and which has remained unleashed, we can experience physical and psychical exhaustion, anxiety or frustration.  Those serious stress symptoms can result from excess of work or performing intense professional activities.  Some of the most stressing jobs in the present are accomplished by surgeons, nurses, air traffic controllers, business executive or psychiatrists.  

   Nurses are one of the categories of professionals continuously confronted with stressful and pressing situations.  The first stress symptoms on nurses resulted from too much work or exhausting night shifts are intense headaches, accentuated discomfort in the cervical area and eye pain.  In addition stressed nurses experience a low capacity of focusing on their job tasks and the overall tonus of their body breaks down, affecting the physical and psychical capabilities.  If not treated on time, stress at medical nurses can develop and begin to damage the immunity system, leading to serious disorders such as:

• - insomnia;
• - nervousness;
• - high levels of cholesterol;

   The researchers consider that the stress state is closely related o the nurses’ capacity of organizing their activities and relationships.  The nurse job is not stressing itself.  It can become stressful through the meanings that the employee usually relates to it.  The truth is that the nurse job implies a great responsibility due to the fact that the patients’ lives depend on the nurse professional abilities in most of the times, and that is what turns it into a profession that has high chances to cause stress.  Professional nurses that experience high levels of stress have admitted that they find it hard to take all sorts of decisions and they usually prefer to isolate themselves from other people. 

   One of the statistics that focused on the stress effects on nurses has indicated the following results:

• - 57% from the nurses suffer from insomnia;
• - 55% are constantly tired at the hospital;
• - 44% have frequent headaches;
• - 55% have complained about muscular tensions and physical pain;
• - 43% have admitted that they are more nervous and anxious than their colleagues.

      Here is a small relaxation guide for all stressed nurses.  It includes the 3 most effective stress reduction techniques for nurses.  Take a minute, relax and take notes, as this might be the beginning of your road to a stress-free life:

• 1. Make place in your schedule for all the important things in your lives (and this excludes the nursing job):
• - go to the gym at least twice a week;
• - get your rest (leave everything else after a tiring night shift and get a good sleep, otherwise you will end p messing other stuff as well);
• - meet with your friends and spend a nice night (or lunch ) in the city;
• - Try to analyze your personal relationship: when was the last time you had a romantic evening? No job is more important than that: get some classic music, light up some candles and invite your partner to a romantic dinner.

• 2. Try to put yourself as a person in front of the nursing position. This doesn’t mean you will leave the work behind. In fact, you will make it work for you!
• 3. Think for a moment if the nursing job is the job that offers you the most satisfaction, if it truly represents you. When you will find the things that determined you in the first place to get a nurse job, like the passion of helping people, stick with them and trey to create the situations that will bring you satisfaction and joy in every working day.

 

SLEEPING DISORDERS

All about Sleep Apnea

The sleep apnea represents an affection of the respiratory system.  It is characterized by repeated respiratory breaks, frequent during sleep.  The period of time when the flux of air stops is around 10 seconds.  Sleep apnea can have different levels of seriousness: light, moderate or severe, according to the length and the frequency of the apnea episodes.

The number of such episodes can reach up to 50 in a single hour of sleeping.  The sleep apnea syndrome was classified into three major types: obstructive apnea, central apnea and mix apnea.  During sleep, the pharynx and tongue muscles relax and they produce the partial obstruction of the air ways.  When the process of breathing stops, the levels of oxygen from the blood decrease.

One of the causes of the sleep apnea is the obesity.  The excess of fat in the neck area has a compressing effect on the air ways, causing them to shrink.  Even the consumption of alcohol can produce sleep apnea.  The alcohol relaxes the respiratory muscles and the superior air ways shrink and produce the sleep apnea.

Other determining factors of the sleep apnea would be:

-          smoking;

-          taking medicines such as sedatives or drinking alcohol before sleeping;

-          the menopause;

-          the spine affections like the scoliosis;

-          diseases such as the Marfan or Down syndromes.

Dealing with Restlessness

The restlessness syndrome can be characterized as fatigue or severe extenuation that restrains the course of daily activities.  There are many other symptoms, but the main is the fatigue which can last up to six months.  Some people struggle with this affection for years.  There are few things known about this affection.

Unfortunately, there are no medical tests that can confirm or deny the existence of the restlessness diagnosis.  There are many theories related to the causes of restlessness, among viral infections, disorders of the immune system or the nervous system, but there are not enough proofs to confirm any of them.  Some of the symptoms of restlessness are:

§         Memory looses, confusion and difficulties in focusing;

§         Muscular pain;

§         Particular head-aches;

§         The person doesn’t have a resting sleep; it might weak up more tired than when he went to sleep.

  The restlessness syndrome can be ameliorated by using drugs used for treating depression and anxiety.  The good news is that it is a slight chance for the syndrome to aggravate in time.  Along with medical treatment, the patients are advised to adjust their daily schedule, to improve their seep rhythm and to begin a light exercising program. Considering a disease that is so hard to treat, the perspective of an efficient treatment can be very tempting.  Therefore, try to avoid any drug that contains a secret ingredient for restlessness.  

Do You Recognize Insomnia Symptoms?

   If it takes you more than a half of hour to asleep at night or you wake up frequently during the night, than you might be suffering from insomnia.  Insomnia is considered on the disorders of the last century.  Approximately a person out of three has sleeping disorders during a whole year.  Those sleeping disorders are double when it comes to women.

Many people think that insomnia doesn’t represent a health problem that needs to be discussed with a doctor.  During the night, Insomnia symptoms consist in the difficulty to fall asleep, frequent awakenings or waking up too early in the morning.  In the morning the persons suffering from insomnia feel tired.  All the daily activities are affected by insomnia.  You will feel tired and have difficulties in memorizing and focusing on your tasks, low performances at the work place.  Other symptoms might be:

-          racing mind;

-          fatigue;

-          drowsiness;

-          irritability.

You can prevent insomnia to affect your life.  The first step of your therapy must refer to following the rules of the “sleep hygiene”.  The doctors recommend that you stick to healthy habits in order to fight back insomnia: a certain hour when you go to sleep and need to weak up, exercise in the afternoon and make sure the room is dark and quiet.

The consequences of insomnia affect daily the entire society and the so called “indirect costs” reach impressive numbers, like in the
US, where the costs raise to an amazing 110 milliards dollars.

Fighting Back Insomnia

Insomnia represents the difficulty in sleeping efficiently in order to allow the body to rest entirely.  An adult requires 6 to 8 hours of sleep, while children and older people more.  There are though, people who only need 1 to 4 hours of sleep a weak up completely rested like
Edison, Napoleon or Truman.  But how can you recognize insomnia?

  The answers are simple: when the sleep lasts less than 6 hours, although you feel like you need more sleep; when you wake up at least two times per night; when you wake up at 4 or 5 o’clock in the morning and you can’t sleep any more.

Insomnia has numerous causes.  Those causes are related to environmental factors, certain diseases, a sedentary life or several foods or drinks taken before sleep.  If you will follow few simple steps, in a while you will be able to heal insomnia and continue the normal course of your life.

§         Begin with changing your pillow, sheets or mattress with some that feel good on your skin.

§         Remove any sources of noise by taking out of the room the TV and close the windows.

§          Try to eat a light dinner (no fats, eggs, mayo or alcohol) and don’t drink any coffee or other drinks which contain caffeine.

§         Avoid any physical or intellectual activities after 5 PM.

§         Make sure there is dark enough in the room and switch off the night light.

§         People who experience insomnia shouldn’t spend their evenings in places with lots of noise an cigars smoke.

 

How to Avoid Melatonin Side Effects

Although melatonin is considered to be a popular nutritional supplement, it is in fact a hormone produced by the pineal gland.  Don’t mistake melatonin with the skin pigment: the melanin.  Melatonin is a powerful chemical substance that can be found in every living cell of our body.  Its task is to regulate our biological rhythm.

Many of the medical research studies have shown that the melatonin has an important role as a chronometer.  It can induce sleep and balance the mixed effects of the jet-tag or working in various shifts.  So far there were fewer studies that could indicate the effects on taking melatonin on a long term.  Therefore, it is recommended to take melatonin on a short term and in small doses.  It can be useful as occasional treatment for insomnia or to prevent the effects caused by the change of the time zone.

The excess of melatonin can increase the level of the hormone named prolactin.  This will lower the sexual impulse on men or it can theoretically accelerate the rise of the prolactin at women with breast cancer.  Some people experience weakness, nightmares, hang-over in the morning or head-aches after they take melatonin.  Depressive states can also occur; therefore the persons that already take drugs for depression should avoid melatonin.

Here are few tips that you should consider if you have begin a treatment with melatonin:

§         Start with small dosages: 0,1 mg and continue until you solve your sleeping problems;

§         If you use melatonin in preventive cases, also increase gradually the dosage, but o more tan 3 mg should be taken;

§         Ask your doctor to check your level of melatonin;

§         Always take melatonin in the evening, before sleeping.

 The supplements that contain melatonin should be avoided or taken only under medical supervision if it’s the case of children, pregnant women, and people with hormonal disorders or severe allergies. 

The Consequences of Sleep Deprivation

Sleep deprivation is a disorder than can affect many people, like the ones that stay late at night to finish their job tasks, couples that have a new baby or teenagers who go party and have to weak up early in the morning to go to school.  Even if they don’t give it too much attention, in time sleep deprivation can lead to serious effects on their health.  The fact is that during sleep, the brain recharge its energy and preserves long time memories.  It is obvious than that the sleep deprivation can cause a lack of energy, memory loses and depression. 

TheAmerican
Science
Academy has recently published a study which confirms that the sleep deprivation shortens the life if the neurons, among many other consequences.  The most alarming fact is that the sleep deprivation doesn’t allow the creation of new neurons, as the medical studies confirm.  It seem like the sleep deprivation a have disastrous consequences on the entire processes of the memory. This sleeping disorder reduces the body temperature, weakens the body and it can start a true hormonal storm.

Some scientists even go further and affirm the fact that sleep deprivation might lead to more serious affections, such as a high blood pressure, obesity and heart disorders.  The lack of sleep is also one of the main causes of auto accidents.  Each year, thousands of auto accidents happen because the drivers fall asleep at the wheel.  Regarding the right amount of sleep we require, it depends on each person in particular.  Some people feel refreshed after sleeping 4 hours, while other need up to 10 hours for a maximum efficiency on the next day.  

In order to avoid sleep deprivation, make sure you sleep as much as needed for you to feel rested in the morning.  The experts say that you are sleeping enough when you don’t need the alarm clock to wake you up in the morning.

The Symptoms of Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is caused by a general unbalance of the brain functions that regulate the sleeping and the awakening processes.  Its causes are still not discovered.  In few cases, the Narcolepsy appears as a result of brain traumas o it can be a part of other complex neurological problems.  The main symptom is the sensation of somnolence during the day time, even if the person has slept the whole night and had a good rest.

Generally, the symptoms of narcolepsy can be easily observed on teenagers, but in the same manner they can remain hidden for long periods of time.  Another often symptom would be the cataplexy.  This symptom manifests itself like a partial or total weakness of the muscles in the body, caused by powerful emotions like laugh, excitement or anger.  The persons with this symptom have no control or less control over their muscles, and this can be very difficult for them.

The Narcolepsy can be also recognized by the sleep attacks.  The person falls asleep suddenly, even during day time, without any intention of doing such thing.  The seriousness of this disease can be acknowledged if we consider that some patients experience visual or auditory hallucinations, just before sleeping or waking up.  It is very important that the persons who experience such symptoms to have a medical exam, because this condition can be improved, but not healed entirely.

The treatment is a complex one and includes proper medication and some precautions taken (let people know about this condition, avoid driving or working with power tools).