Knowing When to Let Go: Strategies for Nurses to Strengthen Leadership Skills, Create Boundaries and Assess Career Aspirations (GS5)

No matter how educated nurses are or how many degrees or positions they have had nurses report struggling most with how to let go of things in their life that are causing the most stress. Nurses are taught to agree to take on whatever is asked of them, regardless of how busy they are. No matter how much a nurse wants to say no, the societal expectation is that they are helpers—taught to fix problems, show up at all times, and not let people down. They are instructed to never say no to tasks or duties asked of them, even when they are drowning in work and barely hanging on by a thread. Rather than say no, they often become avoiders and lose opportunities for personal growth. This leads to feelings of immense failure, inauthenticity, and burnout. Learning how to hold others accountable and create strong boundaries helps to let all nurses know when they need to say no ask for help or move on to a new professional goal. As nurses leave the profession in record numbers skills are needed to support those still in bedside and leadership roles to achieve a healthy work life balance.