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Amanda Polzien
Explanatory Concept Essay
Comp I MWF-9
3/28/2014
A Nurses Emotional Backpack
Nurses are depended on by everyone they encounter in their career. They are complex
beings that have one of the hardest lives to live. They deal with life, death, and suffering on a
daily basis. It is what they are here for. They put the buffer between the complications of ones
life. They carry the stress, anxiety, and confusion home with them every night and every day for
the rest of their lives. They carry an emotional backpack with them to store their stories, feelings,
and courage.
Nurses take on multiple roles other than that of nurse; they are a caregiver, caring for
patients need and offering them support to maintain a healthy life. Teacher is not a term one
would normally apply to a nurse, but every nurse is one. They teach patients what the doctors
instruct them to do, what their medications are for, and how and when to take them. In the
hospital, they use teaching skills a lot for post-release instructions regarding wounds and care.
Nurses are advocates; they interpret and back up what doctors preach to their patients. Being a
manager is the strongest of their roles. They make decisions in split seconds, take leadership, and
coordinate people, such as other nurses, patients, and their families (Zerwekh). According to
John Luther, You dont have to be brilliant to be a good leader. But you do have to understand
other peoplehow they feel, what makes them tick, and the best way to influence them (qtd. in
Grossman and Valiga).
Nurses do not have the fantasy life many think they do. Nurses have a high divorce rate
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because of their profession, at a 28.95 percent rate (Lubin). They are more at risk for many
things such as stress and being overworked. Part of being a nurse is working those long dreadful
shifts that causes complications for the nurse and his or her family, and contributes to the high
divorce rate. Almost 70 percent of nurses feel stressed or overworked. More nurses are prone to
have musculoskeletal injuries while on the job, at 59 percent as of 2011. Contracting diseases
such as HIV and hepatitis from accidental needle sticks also becomes a greater possibility (2011
ANA).
Along with all of the work factors at home nurses carry their own pain. Getting close to
patients is something nurses are strongly encouraged not to do, yet it happens without thought. It
is sad to say that some nurses take their pain out on substances such as drugs and alcohol. One
out of ten nurses, or about 10 percent, will be dependent on prescription drugs. About half of the
nurses will experience addiction with prescriptions (Copp).
At the worst, some nurses decide they cannot live with the pressure of their job.
According to the British Medical Association, doctors are almost two times more likely to
commit suicide and nurses are at a 50 percent higher risk. In the six years up until 1998, three
hundred and forty- two nurses ended their life (Laurance).
Many people find that nursing is not their cup of tea and is more than what they thought
they could handle. Early on or later into their career, some nurses may decide to leave nursing
and pursue another career field. The top reasons why they choose to leave nursing are short
staffing, too many tasks, upward mobility is lacking, poor management, and underpayment.
Staffing concerns are always a problem. The demands for more people seeking healthcare
cause nurses to float to different departments to fill in where they are needed. Non-efficient
staffing also can mean other nurses pulling in overtime and working even longer shifts. The tasks
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nurses must perform vary in range of complexity. Everything a nurse does has to be documented,
so paperwork is overwhelming in this field.
Healthcare facilities are always finding ways to cut costs, which causes more strain on
nurses. The mobility in nursing is challenging and time consuming. Over the years it has gotten
harder to receive higher degrees in nursing.
Management of the nursing team is the most important of the roles. Without the proper
people in management, the healthcare field would crumble. They are in charge of every aspect
that occurs within the healthcare team. They assign nurses to their tasks and make sure patients
get the treatment they deserve. Sadly, management is a problem in healthcare and is not always
efficient, because of lacking managing leadership.
Lastly, there is a huge misconception on the payment of nurses. Yes, they get paid well,
but is it enough? Considering the amount of work they do in a day, plus the low starting wages, it
is not. Some experienced nurses get paid starting out at a new job or company as little as what
the wages of an unexperienced nurse new into the field does. Wages also fluctuate among
different states and regions of the state. The wages also depend on how well the facility thrives.
If it is a major hospital, there will be more income compared to a small town clinic (Top 5).
Nurses backpacks contain many memories they will cherish or despise forever. They
have to remain calm and collected in crucial times and be professional and respect peoples
beliefs and practices at all times. No matter what part of the nursing field one chooses, he or she
will run into obstacles. Every day brings something new to a nurses backpack. From simple
things such as a child with a cut on his or her foot, to a patient taking a last breath, nurses can
carry and channel their experiences for the rest of their life. A nurse working in a fast-paced
emergency room develops a simple strategy for coping with the tragedies and traumas she sees
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every day: Build walls and stay busy (Gutkind, Wolk). They build barriers to protect themselves
from the hardships nurses face. Next time near a nurse thank them, notice their presence and
acknowledge the nurse. Make it noticeable with sympathy for the long hours nurses work and
how determined they are to help others. Thank nurses for the emotional backpack they forever
carry with them.


















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Works Cited
"2011 ANA Health & Safety Survey Hazards of the RN Work Environment." American Nurses
Association. N.p., 2011. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.
Copp, Mary A. "Drug Addiction among Nurses: Confronting a Quiet Epidemic | Modern
Medicine." Modern Medicine. N.p., 01 Apr. 2009. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.
Grossman, Sheila, and Theresa M. Valiga. "Shaping a Preferred Future for Nursing." The New
Leadership Challenge: Creating the Future of Nursing. 4th ed. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis,
2013. 165. Print.
Gutkind, Lee, and Karen Wolk. Feinstein. "Approaching Death." I Wasn't Strong like This When
I Started Out: True Stories of Becoming a Nurse. Pittsburgh, Pa..: InFact, 2013. 243.
Print.
Laurance, Jeremy. "Doctors and Nurses Most Likely to Commit Suicide." The Independent.
Independent Digital News and Media, 28 Sept. 2000. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.
Lubin, Gus. "The 15 Jobs Where You're Most Likely To Get Divorced." Business Insider.
Business Insider, Inc, 28 Sept. 2010. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.
"Top 5 Reasons Why Good Nurses Leave the Profession." Minority Nurse. N.p., 2014. Web. 25
Mar. 2014.
Zerwekh, JoAnn Graham, and Ashley Zerwekh Garneau. "Historical Perspectives: Influences on
the Present." Nursing Today: Transition and Trends. 7th ed. St. Louis: Elsevier Saunders,
2014. 131-36. Print