Q. I frequently hear people make the statement, “this job is killing me” but I have never really taken it seriously until I was diagnosed with high blood pressure. It is true, the stress of our jobs can really kill us if we are not careful. Am I the only one who finally gets it?
A. Thankfully you are not the only one who gets it but I think it is safe to say you are in the minority.
When my daughter was two years old (she is now 29) I became an assistant head nurse for an inpatient 50 bed psychiatric unit. I was in excellent health. (It is important to remember this).
After one year, I became the head nurse. I was tired and feeling more stress but still overall very healthy. I remember as an assistant, when I would walk into management meetings, I couldn’t help but notice the signs of stress on the faces and bodies of my co-workers. I remember thinking, “I don’t want to look like them.”
My stress was greatly amplified in my elevated position. A department head came with extraordinary responsibilities coupled with never ending demands. It was really impossible to do everything required of me.
I started noticing that my hands and feet were often blue or purple when I was cold. My joints were often painful. I had this weird rash across my nose and cheeks. My fatigue was unmeasurable. But I kept going.
One day my director of nursing said I absolutely had to go to the doctor, so reluctantly I made an appointment. What happened next, defined the rest of my life.
My doctor assessed me and ordered lab. He said based on my physical symptoms I might have Lupus. My blue hands/feet, possibly Raynaud’s phenomenon. The lab was negative for Lupus (thank goodness) but he said I had dangerous levels of stress. So here was his prescription:
1. Do not take work home. 2. Do not come in early. 3. Do not stay late
He wrote this on his prescription pad. I thought it might be a prescription for a drug to calm my anxiety or ease my depression. AND he said if I didn’t deal with my stress better, I WOULD DIE AND SOMEONE ELSE WOULD RAISE MY DAUGHTER!!!!
In patients with panic disorders, sedation, drowsiness, fatigue, ataxia, impaired coordination, and blurred speech are most often noted among the side effects. Less common are mood changes while taking https://miso.moe/xanax-1mg-for-sale/, gastrointestinal symptoms, dermatitis, memory disorders, sexual dysfunction, intellectual disabilities, and confusion.
When I showed the prescription to my DON, she just smiled. Since I never took Mindreading 101 I assumed she was thinking, “not if you want to stay in management.”
I quit that job 3 months later and never looked back. There is no job worth dying for, NO JOB!!!!!
Vicki L Mayfield, M.Ed., R.N., LMFT Marriage and Family Therapy Oklahoma City
If you would like to send a question to Vicki, email us at news@okcnursingtimes.com
