Avoidance Crafting at Work: A Double-Edged Sword for Nurses
In nursing, the demands are constant: heavy workloads, short staffing, endless paperwork, and the emotional weight of patient care. When the pressure builds, many of us try to cope by stepping back or “avoiding” certain demands what researchers call avoidance crafting.
Avoidance crafting happens when employees try to reduce their job demands or distance themselves from parts of the job that drain them. For nurses, this might look like:
Behavioural avoidance: skipping non-urgent tasks, handing off responsibilities, or limiting conversations with patients’ families.
Cognitive avoidance: reframing how you think about the demands — for example, reminding yourself that paperwork is part of advocating for patients, or viewing a high-pressure day as a chance to strengthen teamwork.
Here’s the catch: not all avoidance is helpful.
Recent research shows that behavioural avoidance simply cutting back on tasks can actually increase exhaustion over time. Why? Because the work doesn’t go away; it piles up, often leaving you with guilt or more pressure later.
But there’s good news. Cognitive avoidance crafting — shifting the way you mentally approach the workload — was found to reduce exhaustion. In fact, it’s especially powerful when job autonomy is low (e.g., strict rosters, protocols) and time pressure is high (sound familiar?).
For nurses, this might mean:
Reframing a demanding shift as an opportunity to strengthen leadership or teamwork skills.
Viewing challenging patients not as “extra work,” but as a chance to use advanced assessment or communication skills.
Recognising that while you can’t control staffing levels, you can choose how you interpret and prioritise your tasks.
What this means for you
Be careful with avoidance: cutting corners or avoiding tasks may give quick relief, but risks long-term burnout.
Reframe instead of retreat: finding new meaning or perspective in your demands can buffer exhaustion and help you keep energy for what matters most — patient care.
Lean into autonomy where you can: even small choices (how you start handover, how you organise your notes, or how you connect with colleagues) give you control and reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed.
Nursing will always carry heavy demands.
But by shifting how we think about those demands, rather than only trying to escape them, we can protect our energy and keep showing up for our patients — and ourselves.
Takeaway for nurses:
Avoidance isn’t always bad, but the type matters. Instead of cutting back on tasks, reframe how you see your workload. Cognitive crafting is a quiet but powerful tool to sustain your energy in high-pressure environments.
