Your Next Shift: A Nursing Career Podcast

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BURNOUT AND NORMAL STRESS? Stress is common. It’s a normal aspect of modern life. It’s nearly constant for a nurse on the job. With stress an ever-present condition for every practicing nurse, how can you tell the difference between the “normal” stress of practicing nursing and burnout? Before we get to that simple answer, let’s remember that stress is not always a bad thing. Without an appropriate amount of stress and challenge, the average human lapses into boredom and inactivity. The stress and responsibility of caring for patients is part of the motivation to do your best in every case. The perfectionism it inspires is a good thing for the patient. However, too much of that good thing is bad for the nurse. So, what is the difference between the normal stresses of the healthcare workplace and the syndrome of burnout? It’s really important that you and I get on the same page here in regards to this critical distinction. Burnout is not about what is happening to you. The differ