Her services are in such demand that she has to turn down requests. I have to decide who needs help the most. Bloch is not alone in her occupational juggling act. Nurses who work in hospitals and clinics typically are bombarded with more work than they can legitimately do. They're working in a heightened state of responsiveness in which they're very alert and vigilant.
Nurses often maintain that state throughout their shift without taking a break in the action.
A break is crucial to good health, because with a heightened state of responsiveness comes an increased heart rate and blood pressure, said Herman, a South Carolina Nurses Association member. What Americans are not good at is letting go of the heightened state of excitement that accompanies the stress response and returning to a relaxed state. For many people, Herman said, remaining in a stressed state has become a habit. And for nurses, the world is fraught with stress-producing events. No nursing specialty is immune.