Zen is not some kind of excitement, but concentration on our usual everyday routine. ~ Shunryu Suzuki

Nurses must frequently deal with difficult situations; a family or patient in distress, a difficult task or procedure, a problem that needs solving. It does not help to panic, micromanage or become defensive. Instead, a little concentration is called for.
Often when we are confronted with stress, our first reaction is to do. And not just to do one thing, but to exhaust all possible avenues of resolution at once. It is beneficial to take a breath, center ourselves and focus on what we are doing at the moment.
One thing at a time.
Breathe in, breathe out.
Blood goes round and round.
The most important task is the task that we are performing in this moment. With our focused attention. What we frequently discover is that our calm becomes contagious - to the family, the patient, the situation. And that is never a bad thing.