Being a permanent nurse can be stressful

Being a permanent staff member carries a lot of responsibility i.e. stress on a daily basis that we many or may not be aware of. Being a nurse can be stressful in and of itself, but also the responsibilities of being a permanent staff member is stressful too.

You may not realize the stress you are under until you step out of it for awhile. I have been a traveler for most of my career. Recently, I found a hospital I liked working at and thought I would sign up with them on a per diem basis.

Don’t be led into an assignment because the opportunity might pass you by. Don’t worry, that same hospital will have an assignment again in the future. The opportunity will come again, perhaps when you are more prepared for it. Also, there are so many neat options that you won’t have trouble find a comparable assignment.

Even though I like the hospital and the people I work with, I don’t like the pressures of being permanent or in my case semi-permanent (per diem). For me, the stressors were visible right away.

Suddenly, I have several exams to take in order to work at the facility I have been working at as a traveler for the last year. I have to endure seven days of orientation with information that had very little to do with my actual job. Emotionally, I feel as though I have to be more available to the group in pulling my share of overtime and call. I have to make all those meetings about the hospital and the plans for the department. I find myself feeling stressed out over the anticipation of these changes and how they will affect me. I feel like I have to know more about the doctor’s preferences and techniques now that I am an integral part of the staff. I didn't have to worry about any of this as a traveler.