Author: Chandler

When it is your job to constantly take care of others, you want to ensure that you also take care of yourself. In the healthcare world, this seems obvious, but nurses are at huge risk of constant fatigue. 

Nursing is a demanding profession that usually requires long hours, intense focus, and a lot of physical, and emotional strength. Nurse fatigue is a common issue seen in the healthcare industry, and can have serious consequences like decreased job satisfaction, increased risk of medical errors, and even compromised safety. Fortunately, there are several ways to help reduce nurse fatigue that we will discuss below. But first, let’s learn more about what fatigue is.

What is Fatigue? How is it Different From Tiredness?

Fatigue isn’t just simply being tired, it is much more extensive than that. It’s a state of physical and mental exhaustion that affects a person’s ability to function effectively. Occasional fatigue is normal, and many people have probably experienced it at one point or another, but the persistent fatigue that nurses face can be a serious problem.

Persistent fatigue can have a significant impact on a person’s quality of life, as well as their ability to perform daily activities and work-related tasks. For nurses, this can lead to serious health concerns, jeopardize patient safety, and put employers at risk.

When you are tired, a good night’s sleep and some quick self-care can do the trick, but when you are fatigued, you may need to adjust entire aspects of your life to fully feel better. Managing fatigue is important for maintaining overall health and well-being.

What Causes Fatigue?

Nearly 85% of nurses experience some form of fatigue (career, mental, physical, etc.). So what is causing our essential healthcare workers to feel this way?

The primary cause of fatigue is inadequate sleep. Health issues, bad habits, or intense daily routines can also contribute to fatigue. Because of how frequently their work schedules conflict with the regular pattern of rest, many nurses find it difficult to obtain enough sleep. Being under constant stress with patients and maybe consuming too much caffeine on the job are also cited as causes of fatigue.

Knowing what causes fatigue and preparing healthcare facilities can help diminish major issues. Read the following ways how to help reduce nurse fatigue.

Ways to Reduce Nurse Fatigue

Adequate Rest and Sleep

One of the most essential factors in reducing nurse fatigue is ensuring that nurses get adequate rest and sleep. This can be challenging in a profession that requires unconventional schedules and long hours, but it is essential for maintaining physical and mental health. Nurses should prioritize getting enough sleep – aiming for 7 or more hours – to help keep fatigue away. This may include using earplugs or white noise machines to block out distractions and minimizing exposure to light during sleep hours.

Proper Nutrition and Hydration 

Another key factor in reducing nurse fatigue is maintaining proper nutrition and hydration. Nurses should aim to eat a balanced diet that includes a variety of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains. They should also stay hydrated by drinking water and avoiding sugary or caffeinated beverages (we know energy drinks are important for long work days but too much caffeine can worsen fatigue).

Proper nutrition and hydration can help maintain energy levels and reduce feelings of fatigue throughout the day. Additionally, healthcare facilities should make sure their staff has easy access to healthy food and snack options.

Prioritize Breaks and Self-Care 

Nurses should be able to take regular breaks and ensure they have adequate time off to recharge, recover, and enjoy life. This may mean taking a short walk, stretching, or doing a mindfulness exercise during a break. It also means ensuring that nurses have enough time off between shifts to rest and recover.

Allowing nurses to work flexible schedules can help them figure out what their individual needs are to feel well-rounded in their careers. Additionally, simple self-care for as little as 10 minutes a day can help nurses feel happier, healthier, and more satisfied with their jobs.

Ergonomic Workspaces

Nurses spend a lot of time on their feet performing physically demanding tasks. So finding a way to make the work environment more ergonomic will be beneficial to reducing fatigue. This may include using proper lifting techniques, adjusting the height of equipment to avoid awkward positions, and using comfortable and supportive footwear.

Ergonomic workspaces, such as Workstations on Wheels (WOWs) can help reduce physical strain and prevent fatigue. DATACART™ medical carts provide nurses with convenient sit-to-stand capabilities and ergonomic accessories that will give them much-needed rest while still being able to properly complete their daily tasks. Medical carts may even help nurses become more productive and efficient.

Supportive Work Environment

Creating a supportive work environment is essential for reducing nurse fatigue. This includes having a positive workplace culture that values teamwork, communication, and mutual respect. Nurses should feel comfortable raising concerns and providing feedback on work processes that may be contributing to fatigue. A supportive work environment can also help reduce stress and prevent burnout.

Set Boundaries

When a job demands dealing with families, sick individuals, and other coworkers, it is easy to get overwhelmed by constant interactions. Setting boundaries can help keep nurses motivated throughout their careers and prevent them from becoming overburdened by the number of individuals they must engage with each day.

As we look ahead into the future of nursing, there are a lot of things that are likely to change as hospitals and healthcare systems continue to evolve and address many of the current nursing issues and concerns of their staff.

There are many trends that we see as possibilities in 2023, but here are some of the trends in nursing that we think we will see play a big part throughout the next year.

Telehealth/Telemedicine is New Normal

In 2023, nurses of all experience levels should expect to have normal interactions within telehealth services. As medical facilities and hospital systems need to see more and more patients, telemedicine proves to have many advantages to help provide quality care.

A 2022 study conducted by J.D. Power found that overall, 94% of respondents who had used telehealth services in the past year would “probably” use the service in the future. They also found that “among patients using telehealth in the past year, 80% say they prefer telehealth for prescription refills; 72% say they prefer telehealth for reviewing medication options; and 71% say they prefer telehealth for discussing test results. Another 57% of patients say they prefer telehealth for regular mental health visits.” 

The top reasons for using telehealth are convenience, quick care, and accessibility. Care teams may be reached anywhere in the country, and information can be sent immediately to them using any device with an Internet connection. Patients and healthcare professionals have taken advantage of this to keep up communication and care throughout the pandemic, and there is no indication that this will change.

For nurses, this can mean a shift in responsibility to get meetings prepped and, in some circumstances, having them run the entire appointment with the doctor coming in to give a final diagnosis or treatment. This calls for expertise in remote technologies and the capacity to deliver healthcare in virtual settings.

Nursing Shortage To Continue

The largest nursing shortage the U.S. has ever seen is a result of both a growing need for nursing staff to care for patients with more complicated healthcare requirements and a declining supply of nurses. The shortage is expected to continue throughout 2023. 

The nursing shortage also affects the quality of care that patients receive. Hospitals and other healthcare facilities may struggle to meet the demands of patients, leading to longer wait times, increased patient-to-nurse ratios, and higher rates of burnout among young nurses.

Efforts to address the nursing shortage include increasing the number of nursing school graduates, offering incentives for nurses to remain in the workforce, and creating more flexible work schedules to attract and retain nurses. Additionally, the use of technology and telehealth can be a way to alleviate the shortage by allowing nurses to reach more patients remotely.

“The number of people entering the nursing workforce is increasing, but it is not keeping pace with the need,” says Maryann Alexander, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, chief officer of nursing regulation at the National Council of State Boards of Nursing in Chicago. “Additionally, the number of advanced practice registered nurses is increasing.”

A number of states are evaluating the minimum number of general nurses needed for staff positions and increasing financing for healthcare facilities. For the purpose of increasing the number of new nurses, some states are now investing in nursing education, and some universities are increasingly offering rolling admission for nurse-related studies. Finally, other states are considering increasing pay and establishing better, safer healthcare ratios. 

Federal Funding Increase

The U.S. Department of Labor announced $80 million in grants to encourage more nurses to enroll in nursing schools and expand the number of nursing professors. The funds will help train additional nurse faculty, who in turn will educate more nurses.

Organizations that suggest plans to aid underrepresented groups as they enroll in nursing programs will be given grants. Successful grant applications will put forth initiatives that foster community relationships and recruit new nurses.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that, “more than 275,000 additional nurses are needed from 2020 to 2030, and that employment opportunities for nurses will grow at 9 percent, faster than all other occupations from 2016 through 2026.”

Despite general nursing shortages, this federal funding is estimated to be a substantial solution to fixing healthcare gaps that may be experienced.

More Travel Nurse and Per Diem Roles

Healthcare facilities have turned to travel and per diem nurses to fill staffing gaps and ensure safe patient care. Traveling nurses are a select group of nurses that are willing to travel the country to work in hospitals and healthcare facilities when they are short-staffed. These contracts could last only a few weeks or multiple months, depending on need. This has become an increasingly good option for hospitals looking to cover a short-staffed department while they are in the process of hiring someone new.

This is also very lucrative for new nurses who are willing to travel often to new cities and new facilities because they can be paid 2–3 times the amount that a standard nurse would be paid.

With an increase in the number of traveling and per diem nurses in a facility, it is critical to ensure that your medical facility can quickly train this staff and has all of the technology and equipment they require to do their jobs effectively.

Focus on Mental Health

It’s no secret that these last few years have been extremely rough on healthcare professionals. Many of them have been asked to work long hours in tough conditions, often to the point of burnout. Through doing that, there has been an incredible new focus on making sure that nurses are not only appreciated but also given the time needed to recover properly from a tough shift and have the resources they need to do their jobs.

A 2022 survey conducted by Reputation Leaders found that 58% of nursing professionals were not regularly offered grief counseling, and 37% of nurses did not feel supported in their mental health (that is within the same ratio as the graph percentage above).

This renewed focus on mental health for nurses is a fantastic thing for them, medical facilities, and patients alike. The nursing staff is often the front line of communication between the medical team and the patient. A nurse that is refreshed and given resources to focus on mental health can better communicate with patients and provide overall better care with improved outcomes. This means the patient gets excellent care and may be able to recover more quickly and have a better overall experience.

What is not to love about that?

Takeaways

The most important takeaway from the trends in nursing for 2023 is that although there aren’t many new or revolutionary things coming within the new year, there will be expanded efforts on nurses’ education, funding, and mental health. Nursing staff deserve to feel valued, taken care of, and balanced.