How to Avoid Super Nurse Syndrome: How to Not Feel Like a Terrible Nurse When There Aren’t Enough Staff

“We normally worked with three nurses. A nurse called today. No one could replace her. I did my best to administer the medications on time. I barely did all the treatments. I fell behind in my evaluations. There was no time to talk to patients or family members. I did a couple of trips to the bathroom. I somehow gobbled down a sandwich. I don’t remember many of the details of the day. All I know is that I’m tired. And worst of all, I feel like I didn’t serve you well today. I’m a rotten nurse. “.

Have you ever felt like this after a long day without enough staff to do your job right? You are not the only one. I have heard this for years from some of the best nurses I know. No matter what the circumstances, they resent not providing the quality of care they expect of themselves. Here are four ways to feel better when this happens.

First, examine your expectations of yourself. Do you expect to always provide the highest quality care, no matter what? With fewer staff than usual, do you try to do everything for your patients that you normally do with your entire staff? If you answered yes, and most of my nurse friends did, then I would say you have what I call “super nurse syndrome.” No matter what the circumstances, you are going to be stretched to your limits. You’re setting yourself up to feel bad.

What you can do right away:

1. Accept that there may be times when you will provide less than excellent nursing care. There will always be circumstances beyond your control. You are still a good nurse. You can only do that.

2. At the beginning of the shift, prioritize what needs to be done to provide good care. Skip the non-essential. Postpone anything that can wait until tomorrow.

3. Ask for help. Let your manager or supervisor know that you are having difficulty and what they can do to help you. If you think your staff is unsafe, let them know at the start of the shift.

4. If all else fails and the change doesn’t go as well as you hoped, feel good that you did the best you could. Don’t be discouraged.

For long-term solutions, work with your fellow nurses and nursing administration to plan what to do when “less than optimal” staffing is present. After all, they both have a goal of a workplace that promotes and supports the highest quality nursing care possible.