1999 always sounded like it should be punctuated with a dollar sign and a decimal point like a discount price tag. But 2000 seems to hold so much more potential, so much more importance than its predecessor. The last thing you want to do is pile on more stress. But as our cover story suggests, taking time to create balance in your life should be a priority. Too often, as we struggle to juggle our personal, professional, and community personas, we drop the ball when it comes to our own needs.
Health professionals are particularly susceptible to taking on more than they can handle.
Their caregiving role often spills over into their lives outside of work, resulting in no time for themselves, and no effort to reduce their stress level. The actions of Richard and Dawn Kelso in the final days of 1999 underscored the high stress of providing nursing care. They allegedly abandoned their disabled son, Steven, at the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Del., after assuming complete care for the child when they were unable to procure his usual continuous at-home nursing care over the holidays. No matter what your treatment setting, you also undoubtedly deal with a lot of stress. Higher acuity patients.