As we're all aware, being an emergency medicine physician is already a difficult job. It tests our patience, stamina, and intellect every shift.
Dealing with stressors in our personal lives can make it particularly hard to come in and work a shift with the same empathy and patience we would otherwise have. When you have these difficult days, here are a couple of tips to help.
1. Be aware of your emotional state before you start. Just simply acknowledging that today may be more difficult helps to deal with tough situations as they arise.
2. Take breaks. Especially after dealing with a difficult patient or coworker, force yourself to step away. Get some air, some food. Even 3 minutes out of the ER to reset will allow you to not let it affect the next personal encounter.
3. We all have patients that are particularly stressful for us. During times of personal stress, it is even more taxing to care for these patients. Try to identify these scenarios, and consider asking a college to see these patients for the day. This is expected, we all rely on each other. We're all human, and minimizing triggers that may stir up emotions and frustrations is part of good personal care and good patient care.
