Setting Limits...

During the past few weeks, I have spent time at home, away from my very stressful job. I have been recovering from surgery to repair an injury I received when a psychiatric patient threw me against the wall. After that injury, I returned to work three days later to find another patient hanging from a t-shirt in his doorway. In the process of quickly removing him...I further damaged my shoulder. For two years, it has not been convenient for my employer for me to have surgery to repair my arm. Both of these patients have come and gone through our facility....in fact, the female that threw me into the wall, also injured another female staff much in the same way. For two years, I have worked at least ten hours a day and taken calls from nursing staff every day and night of the week. For one weekend of the month I am expected to go the facility on the weekends as the administrator on call, make sure that the doctor on call knows what patients to see and ensure that the facility runs smoothly for that weekend. Of course, days off are not given for that weekend worked.

While I have been on medical leave, I have completely left the facility behind. I have painted, created collage, looked at magazines, talked to my dogs, my children and my parents. I have read blogs, joined web groups and simply enjoyed life. Actually I have joined life.

As I prepare to return to work in a couple of weeks, I am deciding to make changes. My job will not run my life. I will work to live, not live to work. I know that there are many people out there that don't have jobs, that I am lucky to have a job. But there are limits to what anyone should expect and I really feel that at this stage in my life, (the second half) peace and harmony are what is important.

I love my job...I love this field of mental health! I went to nursing school to be a Psychiatric Nurse. But we teach our patients to put up boundaries to keep themselves healthy and that's what I'm doing for myself....let's see how well it goes over at work!!

What about you? Do you have strong boundaries for yourself? If not, start now, take care of yourself today.

Karen