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Posted on 11th August, 2023
Unmasking the Real Heroes: Challenges Faced by Acute Care Nurses While They Save Lives!
Acute care nurses play a very critical role in the healthcare system, providing emergency care and saving lives in high-pressure environments. However, behind their heroic efforts lie a multitude of challenges that they face on a daily basis.
In this blog, we take a look at the unique obstacles that acute care nurses encounter and make an attempt to throw light on the physical, emotional, and mental demands of their job. By understanding these challenges, we can gain a deeper appreciation for their dedication and resilience, and for their service to our communities!
Heavy Workload:
An acute care nurse is called upon to administer care in the face of life-and-death situations and may have to deal with many trauma victims at the same time. As such, due to the very nature of their work, acute care nurses often experience a heavy workload. They are responsible for multiple patients with complex medical conditions, each of whom needs constant monitoring, medication administration, and treatments. Managing the demands of multiple patients simultaneously can be physically and mentally exhausting.
Physically Demanding Work:
Acute care nurses often find themselves in physically demanding situations. They spend long hours on their feet, rushing from one patient to another, often in high-stress emergency scenarios. They may have to work for many hours without even grabbing a bite to eat. Lifting and transferring patients, administering treatments, and responding to sudden changes in patient conditions can take a toll on their bodies. This physical strain can lead to fatigue, musculoskeletal injuries, and chronic pain, making self-care and well-being crucial for these healthcare professionals.
Emotional and Mental Stress:
Working in acute care settings exposes nurses to many emotionally distressing situations. They witness deep human suffering, handle life-or-death decisions, and experience the loss of patients. The emotional toll of such experiences can lead to stress, fatigue, burnout, and mental exhaustion. In order to do their taxing job day after day, acute care nurses must balance empathy and compassion with the need to maintain emotional resilience. They must always seek support and practice self-care to navigate the emotional demands of their profession.
Fast-Paced Environment:
Acute care units operate in high-stress environments where split-second decisions can mean the difference between life and death. Nurses must be prepared to handle emergencies, face rapid patient deterioration, and deal with the constant influx of critical cases. This fast-paced work atmosphere can lead to heightened anxiety, increased workload, and a constant need to stay alert and focused. Effective communication, teamwork, and access to resources and training are crucial for acute care nurses to thrive in these stressful settings.
Time Constraints:
Time constraints are a significant challenge for acute care nurses. They must prioritise and make quick decisions while ensuring that patient care remains efficient and effective. Worsening patient conditions, acute emergencies, and the need to respond immediately to emerging situations can make it difficult to allocate adequate time to each patient. They could often end up spending all their time on patient care, leaving little or no time for themselves.
Complex Patient Cases:
These nurses must often deal with patients who present with complex medical conditions. To care for their patients appropriately, they must possess a deep understanding of various diseases, treatment protocols, and advanced medical technologies. Juggling and managing multiple patients with diverse needs, coordinating interdisciplinary care, and maintaining accurate documentation are additional challenges they face.
Lack of Resources:
Acute care units may face resource constraints such as limited staffing, funding, equipment, or supplies. Inadequate resources can impact patient care and add additional pressure on nurses to perform their duties effectively with limited support.
Continuous Learning:
Acute care nurses must continuously update their knowledge and skills to deliver safe and effective care. They should do all they can to stay updated with the latest healthcare advancements, treatment mandates, and evidence-based practices. Continuous learning is essential to provide high-quality care, but keeping up with the rapidly evolving healthcare landscape can be demanding and requires ongoing professional development.
Work-Life Balance:
The demanding nature of acute care nursing can make it challenging to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Long and irregular shifts, including overnight and weekend work, can disrupt personal routines, limit time with family and friends, and contribute to stress and burnout. Quite often, family takes a back seat, and this can make nurses feel guilty about not giving enough time to their spouses or children.
Ethical Dilemmas:
Acute care nurses may face ethical dilemmas, such as end-of-life decisions, allocating scarce resources, or balancing legalities with their duty to provide optimal care. Navigating such morally challenging situations while upholding professional standards can be emotionally and morally challenging.
Final Thoughts
The challenges faced by acute care nurses are indeed immense, and run the gamut of physical, emotional, and mental demands. Their ability to get past these obstacles while providing effective care is a testament to their commitment to patient well-being. Healthcare institutions must acknowledge and support acute care nurses in their vital role, ensuring they have the resources, training, and emotional strength necessary to overcome these challenges.
While this is an undeniably challenging career role, the reward that you get when you are able to pull a patient out from danger and see them on the road to recovery is well worth all the hardship that you face! Would you like to be an acute care nurse? Enrolling in an acute care nurse program such as the Graduate Certificate in Advanced Nursing- Specialisation Acute Care Nursing can be the first step. If you would like to explore this course in more detaipl, check your eligibility and more, do connect with the counsellors at IHNA. We can help you to build on your current nursing knowledge to develop acute care nursing strategies and capabilities, getting your acute care nursing career off to a running start!
FAQ’s
The primary responsibilities of acute care nurses vary depending on the setting. Some common responsibilities include:
1. Assessing patients: You will be required to perform comprehensive assessments of patients, including physical examinations, gathering medical history, and assessing vital signs.
2. Administering medications and treatments: You must administer medications, provide wound care, perform procedures, and manage various treatments according to the patients’ needs.
3. Monitoring patients: You will closely monitor patients’ condition, including vital signs, lab results, and changes in symptoms, to detect any changes or deterioration.
4. Collaborating with healthcare teams: You will work alongside physicians, other nurses, and healthcare professionals to develop and implement care plans, ensuring coordination and continuity of care.
5. Educating patients and families: You must educate patients and their families about their condition, medications, self-care, and post-discharge instructions.
6. Advocating for patients: You will act as an advocate for your patients, ensuring their rights, preferences, and needs are respected and communicated to the healthcare team.
7. Documenting patient information: You must maintain accurate and detailed patient records, documenting assessments, treatments, medications, and any changes in the patient’s condition.
High patient acuity affects acute care nurses in several ways:
8. Increased workload: You may have a higher number of patients requiring close care, resulting in a heavier workload and increased responsibilities.
9. Time management challenges: You must effectively prioritise and manage your time to ensure that all patients receive the necessary care and attention.
10. Heightened stress levels: Dealing with critically ill or unstable patients can lead to increased stress levels.
11. Need for advanced clinical skills: High patient acuity demands advanced clinical skills and knowledge to provide specialised care, administer complex treatments, and anticipate potential complications.
12. Collaborative teamwork: You may need to closely collaborate with other healthcare professionals, such as physicians, specialists, and support staff, and work with the team to provide care.
As an acute care nurse, you will be trained to handle traumatic situations, as you may have to face them on a daily basis! Coping strategies include the following:
13. Peer support: Nurses often rely on their colleagues for support and debriefing after experiencing traumatic events. Just by discussing the situation with fellow nurses who understand the challenges, you can get emotional relief.
14. Emotional regulation techniques: You may employ various techniques to manage your emotions, such as deep breathing exercises, mindfulness practices, or meditation and emotional freedom therapy (EFT) to release traumatic emotions.
15. Seeking counselling or therapy: If the traumatic event has a lasting impact on your emotional well-being, you may seek professional counselling or therapy.
16. Education and training: You will receive education and training on resilience, stress management, and coping strategies to prepare for traumatic situations.
17. Self-care practices: Engaging in self-care activities outside of work, such as exercise, hobbies, spending time with loved ones, or seeking support from a support network, can help you maintain your emotional well-being. Take personal time to avoid burnout, and try to get adequate sleep every day.
18. Professional debriefing: Some healthcare institutions provide formal debriefing sessions or support groups where you can discuss traumatic events and share your feelings in a safe and supportive environment.
