Working in the medical industry is notoriously incredibly difficult. Long hours, very intense logical reasoning and also the emotional bond doctors strive not to feel for their clients in stressful medical situations can all combine to make the job seem suffocating. This is why those working in the medical industry, no matter what capacity, deserve a standing ovation from all of us, and at the very least our quiet respect. No matter who you are, it’s likely you see just how important the work health care professionals do is to the fabric and health of our society.
Because of how intense these jobs are, and how amazing it seems the people who are able to grasp them must be, it can sometimes be easy to forget that people working in the field are human too. They are:
This is something to remember if you’re hoping to progress in one of these fields yourself. Simply because you are now charged with the oath of ensuring that you look after others to the limit of your ability, that should also include yourself. If working in a hospital environment during a residency, beginning to work long hours at your own practice or working in a private clinic, all of the same considerations should apply.
They will help with your health and personal development, and not only that, but they should help you stay more connected and get better at the job at hand. For someone focussed and motivated to achieve in a career, this can be be an attractive proposition. As evidenced by the www.staffnurse.com website, finding a job in the medical field is best helped by working on yourself and your competency as much as possible. Even if you have the best resume, skills and qualifications in the world, if you don’t maintain yourself on a daily basis you are useful to no one. Not only this, but you may even put the wellbeing of those charged to your care at risk. We’d recommend you keep reading to glean the most use out of this article:
Stay Fit.
Staying fit truly helps in all aspects of life, but in a role as physically demanding as the one you now occupy, it’s truly a requirement. Staying awake for long hours and upkeeping the energy will require a healthy cardiovascular system. This will help you stay alert. Flexibility exercises such as yoga and/or simple stretching can help you stay more present and feel more able in the body you inhabit, meaning that physical issues will never interrupt your job. Many hospitals or medical facilities offer their own rudimentary gym areas, so you may be in luck if you need to work on your fitness between shifts or before beginning, without having to go out of your way. A fit and healthy doctor will simply find their job easier than a doctor who is unhealthy, and not only that, but you will be taken with more gravity and authority by your clients. No one enjoys being taken care of by a doctor who obviously neglects their own health, so be sure to work on your image as much as possible, if not for yourself, for your patients.
Sleep.
A simple viewing of any rudimentary medical television program should be enough to help the layman understand how many and how varied the hours are. It’s likely that medical staff work hours comparable and exceeding those that Chef’s work, and that’s something significant to say. Sleep is your golden and most vital resource if you are in this position. As a medical professional, it should be at the height of your priority list to avoid you crashing on the job. A mild level of sleep deprivation has been scientifically compared to a low level of intoxication. You wouldn’t dream of having an alcoholic beverage before working a medical shift, so why allow your sleep pattern to give you the same issues? Grab an hour of sleep or a nap whenever you can. Again, hospitals often have these facilities for the staff to use in the case of long-haul shifts or in the event of being understaffed.
Not only will the amount of sleep you get make your life much easier, but so will the quality and hygiene of each sleeping session. Be sure to avoid caffeine as much as you can before you plan to take a nap, as it will only rob you of precious minutes getting to sleep. This is easier said than done as coffee is the doctor or nurse’s best friend. Use your best judgment. However, packing a fresh pair of clothes to sleep in, making sure your bed is always clean and made, as well as having methods to increase or decrease your temperature comfortably can help you sleep in the most difficult of environments with ease.
Stress-Bust.
Stress is the most insidious and ever-present enemy of the healthcare professional. It’s no wonder, as they have plenty to deal with for sure. Not only do they have to worry about every patient under their care while trying not to, but they have to maintain a million responsibilities in the same day and attempt to make sure they are all completed before they clock out. Being ‘on-call’ for a period can also prevent them from fully relaxing, safe in the knowledge that at any time they will have to rush into work for the next big emergency. Without a sense of mental fortitude, the job would be impossible. It’s impossible to build the wall of mental fortitude if you’re building the foundations on a swamp of stress. It’s your mental responsibility to get over this stress by making sure you use practical methods to overcome it.
Stress busting is never easy, but it can be done. One of the most popular methods of the modern day is meditation. Mindfulness meditation, a breathing exercise in which you focus on your breath as the anchor for a period of 10/20/30 minutes can help you tangible reduce your stress levels and a way that’s physically noticeable. It can also help you with your long-term focus, something which anyone can benefit from. It may even help you move through the tragedy of certain patient stories without feeling loss which is sure to emotionally interrupt your job.
Not only this, but mindfulness will allow you to take a breather and to have those breathers contribute as a break. In the constant scatter-minded approach you need when juggling many responsibilities, it can be very difficult to switch off these thoughts during your limited break times. Meditation can help you do just that, and that will allow you to come back to your responsibilities with a sense of freshness and vitality.
However, stress busting needn’t be limited to isolation in meditation. It can be simply keeping an active social life as much as you can. It’s likely that this will be in the collective of colleagues, as they will often be on the same shift patterns as you, which can be quite awkward to contend with. Having a few drinks or taking pleasure in simple activities like hiking or cooking can help you imbue your free time with a sense of play, something which is completely necessary to stay active as a healthy human being. Working in the medical profession can sometimes be so serious that it can overwhelm you if you’re not careful. Be sure to play as much as you can. However, that is defined by you, to stay on top of your life and make all the effort you put into helping people also work to help yourself.
If you’re hoping to work in these fields, you are an amazing person and hopefully have a long and memorable career ahead of you. Good luck!
