Small steps back from burnout

A real story shared under a changed name – thank you to the storyteller.

Christine, Registered Nurse

Where do I start?

I have been a nurse for 40 years. In this time, I enjoyed working in the acute surgical department the most; I liked seeing the patients walk out when they were better. In 2020 during the pandemic, I also experienced working on a hospital COVID ward.

Crash – no warning

One day I went to work feeling tired and very fatigued. I am sure many nurses have gone to work feeling the same. I rang the nurse co-ordinator and told her I didn’t feel well. She told me there was no one to replace me and to have a rest. A little while later I began to feel worse. I was weak, faint, dizzy and sweaty. I was sitting at the desk, alone and hanging onto the computer for support.

I rang the nursing co-ordinator again, but there was no answer. Then I rang the emergency department where a nurse picked up the phone. I told her that I thought I was going to collapse. The nurse initiated a MET call.

I don’t remember being transferred from the chair to the bed and arriving at the ED. Observations, bloods, ECG and CT head all came back NAD. I was directed to go home and rest. Little did I know that I would not return to work to do a shift till 15 months later.

Exhausted and unable to recommence ‘normal’ life

The exhaustion got worse; I had no energy. All I could do was collect the paper from the front lawn each day. I couldn’t drive, stand in the shower (I used a chair) and I could not walk around a supermarket.

Many months off work, many GP visits with lots more tests – bloods, urines, MRI Brain, CT IVP Echo, and Stress Echo. All results returned normal. My children called me a couch surfer. I would start the day in the front of the house and transfer to the back couch in the afternoon.

Rest – no shortcut to recovery

I thought my life was over; nursing home here I come. The GP told me to rest. I needed a pathway to get better. I got a referral to see a general physician who had known me for 15 years from work. After a 30-minute consultation he told me I was mentally and physically exhausted, that I needed to rest and that it will take time.

Where do I go from here? How do I get better? A very close girlfriend gave me a book to read. Burnout; A Guide to Identifying Burnout and Pathways to Recovery by Gordon Parker, Gabriela Tavella and Kerrie Eyers.

Recovery, health and self-care

So my journey began. Every day I would do 30 minutes of yoga, 10 minutes of mindfulness, journaling every day, no alcohol, no caffeine, good food, getting a good night’s sleep and an afternoon nap. I started to see a psychologist and naturopath.

I connected with the Nursing and Midwifery Health Program Victoria, was allocated a nurse counsellor and started having regular appointments. I discussed how I was feeling and planned my days of activities and rest.

Small steps back to what’s important

I have a very close friend who would ring me every day to see how I was going. Her last words were always, ‘It will take little steps at a time to get better.’ My body and mind needed rest and that’s what I did. I spent time with close friends and family, watched movies and read books.

Diagnosis – breast cancer

A few months later I slowly felt myself feeling normal again. But that all changed when I got a recall on a mammogram. I was diagnosed with the early stages of breast cancer. I knew what was going to happen next, I knew the drill. I had 2 lots of surgery, 19 days of radiotherapy and then medication to stop a recurrence.

Care at every stage of breast cancer treatment

Every step you go through with breast cancer there is help. At diagnosis I had a breast care nurse sit by my side. The day of surgery the breast care nurse rang me and spoke with me at length. I have ongoing appointments with my surgeon. When I had my radiotherapy, I had the radiotherapy nurses and the radiation oncologist support, and I also continue seeing my medical oncologist. There is a number to ring if you need a nurse counsellor.

All this information is provided to you when you have a diagnosis of breast cancer. When you have a diagnosis of exhaustion you need to find your own care and this is what makes it so difficult. Exhaustion has no pathway.

Prevention, detection, support and care for nurses and midwives

Firstly, we need to prevent exhaustion with our nurses, see the early signs and have pathways to return to normal health and wellbeing. I want nurses to learn how to look after themselves, learn to look out for each other, and know where to get help.