Illustration of a stressed healthcare administrator and nurse carrying patient care, documentation, and workplace stress.

Stress Flows Down Hill

A different perspective on workplace stress, leadership, and the pressure we unknowingly pass to one another.

7/7/20263 min read

Illustration of a stressed healthcare administrator and nurse carrying patient care, documentation, and workplace stress.
Illustration of a stressed healthcare administrator and nurse carrying patient care, documentation, and workplace stress.
Illustration of a stressed healthcare administrator and nurse carrying patient care, documentation, and workplace stress.

What if the result of all our lateral frustrations and friction comes from the transference of discomfort?

I was having a conversation with a manager the other day when I jokingly stated that they had misconstrued something I said. In that moment, I guess because of my candid approach, they opened up to me about a difficult conversation they had with their manager where information had also been misinterpreted.

I listened openly and didn't respond, but while I was listening, I had a flashback to an email I had received from the same department about an issue I was involved in, where there had also been a misinterpretation of information and the frustration that followed.

I remember thinking it was so unfair. How couldn't they understand the circumstances I was facing?How wasn't it obvious that I had to make the decisions I did that day?

Then I thought about their situation and how what they had faced from upper management was similar. It got me thinking.

Does stress flow down hill?

  • Reflect before you repeat: This one may be hard. Think back to that moment or issue. Was there anything you could have done to prevent it from happening or at least improve the outcome in the future? They say those who don't learn from their mistakes are doomed to repeat them. Ask yourself, am I living a self-fulfilling prophecy?

  • Protect your integrity: Though it is highly discouraged in any work environment, abuse can exist. The culture, the people, and the patient load can all be extremely taxing on nurses and, statistically speaking, create a breeding ground for errors. If this happens, document it and report it. But if it happens in the moment and threatens patient care, speak up then. No amount of abuse or intimidation is worth your integrity or your license.

While I am sure all of us are fighting silent battles that none of us talk about, we should stay focused on the war we are collectively tackling together and on making the most of our work environments, our mentality, and our patient care. If stress really does flow downhill, maybe grace can too.

  • Feedback not feelings: Separate the feedback from your feelings. Most of the time it isn't personal, and even if it was, it wouldn't be a representation of who you are. The majority of the time, managers are simply checking boxes. They must audit documentation and provide feedback as part of their job. Admit it or not, that annoying email probably reminded you not to make the same mistake twice.

  • Consider the repercussions: What is the actual aftermath of this remediation? A lot of us catastrophize these situations because we are trained to stay on high alert for medical emergencies. But trust me, your inbox is not going into AFib with RVR, even though it may feel like it.

Illustration of a stressed healthcare administrator and nurse carrying patient care, documentation, and workplace stress.
Illustration of a stressed healthcare administrator and nurse carrying patient care, documentation, and workplace stress.

Not in the sense of finger-pointing at upper management, but in the sense that maybe we are all on edge. Maybe we are all struggling with some external force that is making it difficult to do the job we were called to do: nursing.

And if that is true, how can we give grace in graceless moments and continue to do our best when gratitude is not the reward?

Maybe it starts with changing the way we respond to these moments.

Illustration of a stressed healthcare administrator and nurse carrying patient care, documentation, and workplace stress.
Illustration of a stressed healthcare administrator and nurse carrying patient care, documentation, and workplace stress.

Individually, they look like personal problems. Together, they reveal a systems problem.

Characters from a nursing comedy series highlighting hospital life, healthcare culture, and bedside realities.
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