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I’ll preface by saying I’m not a nurse. But, as someone who also has a hard time sometimes handling the difficult things posed to healthcare workers, I’d say:
1) It’s excellent that you can recognize that this is something that impacts you. As a nurse you’re working in a field where you truly see the human condition, in all of its aspects. That is HARD. It’s great that you can see that you need something to help you handle that load.
2) Tactically speaking, I think there are several things that can help:
- Establish your care network - a therapist, an exercise routine, doctors/care providers who can and do care for YOU.
- Make a list of the things that bring you joy. When you’re having a hard time, replenish with one or ten of those things. (My list includes things like reading a book, making a perfect cup of tea, etc.)
- Schedule time off. If you can’t afford a trip, do a staycation and visit free places near you! Make a list of places to explore and be a tourist in your own town - it’s so nice to do this during the week without the crush of the weekend visitors!
- Leverage work resources - employee assistance programs, wellness programs at work - make friends and connect with people who understand what you might be going through!
- Maintain your relationships with friends outside of work. This takes work, but pays huge dividends!
Lastly, don’t be afraid to make a change if you really need to for your mental health. You’re clearly a compassionate, thoughtful person, and that type of talent is needed in every industry. You can always come back!
The fact that it affects you means that you have empathy, which will make you a better nurse. Having said that always plan things that make you happy to balance everything out. Example getting your nails done, go out with friends, pick up a hobby, etc. Hope this helps
I agree...it's a way for me to reframe my feelings to see it that way. We can't be good at our work if we're not willing to feel things - but I recently started seeing a therapist and t hat has helped with dealing with some of the emotions that came up
Always make time for self care and try to leave work at work. Have a person you can confide in and trust to talk to when things get tough and you need to talk it out. Try to take time off every 90 days even if it’s just a three day stretch and get away to focus on keeping yourself mentally and physically and emotionally healthy.
I worked in a level 1 trauma center and then moved to other emergency departments and saw things that I wish I could forget…I never “faced” the things I saw, I just made a conscious choice to replace all the bad images in my mind with something positive that brought me peace…that’s how I made it for 8 years…finally I decided I could still make a difference in patients lives without being bedside and it was time for me to go. The earlier you’re in tune with your feelings, the better…it’s excellent you’re reflecting on how you feel. Find those things that bring you peace, if you notice it’s too much for you..find another department. We have so many options as nurses…compassion and empathy is essential to be a good Nurse! And remember you can’t pour from an empty cup, so fill your cup with things that are truly fulfilling..for me Bible study, gardening, time spent with family and friends, unplugging from social media. Hope this helps you💕
Alcohol and a dark sense of humor.
Lol. That does definitely serve its place and time in our field
Think of all the good that goes on. All that you help that is the positive. The lives that you touch on a day-to-day basis. Also balacne is important. I have taken on exercise and nutrition as my focus. I tell my family that i need the hour to myself, when i am in my gym at home please leave me alone unless there is an emergency (do i get interrupted yep but again i reinforce to them that i need time to myself to destress). It helps a lot.
It takes a lot of time to get used to seeing horrible stuff everyday. I make it a point to have a me time before and after shift so I can prepare my mind and allow myself to disassociate from whatever I encountered during my shift.
I will say, it took me many many years to be able to put it all in a box and store it away. I used to stay up at night and lose sleep because I was contantly thinking about work. Now as soon as my feet hit outside the hopsital, I put it away and store it. I think it just takes time to be honest.
As a medic, it was just something that came to me for some time. But I also had a pretty traumatic childhood. It wasn’t until I was sent to NYC during COVID to help that everything kind of compounded and really destroyed my mental health. Best thing I can say is never be afraid to reach out to discuss whatever may be sticking with you or whatever you may be healing. Don’t be afraid to step back and say you need a break. Find the humor in the dark times (easier said then done, I know). And always always remember there’s a silver lining, even if you can’t see it right away.
Remind yourself of the good, and savor the good moments in your work. I always remind myself of the moments of witnessing patients fully recover and get to go home, especially if I'm having a bad day. Also, have a comfort show or hobby that allows your brain to shut down and enjoy peace. I try to avoid any crime shows, drama/reality shows, and focus on crafting hobbies while watching feel good movies or shows. Podcasts are great for when you need a pick me up on the go, and I love to pick ones that talk about good news in the world.
I understand. My first year as a nurse I came home crying a lot to my husband but the relationship I build with patients and seeing them heal and get better with my tender love and care make it all worth while.
What area of nursing are you working in? Type of place etc. You need to vent and talking to other nurses who have been in the field a long time, or longer time than yourself, can help.
I’ve had my share of cries and shock relating to what goes on in nursing, but know this: there are many areas to work in with our licenses. I’ve also had a lot of really great times where I thought to myself ‘I can’t believe I get paid to do this!’
1st year is tough. It gets easier in some ways and confidence builds as we experience more. Explore other nursing roles maybe? You can always shadow a nurse who has a different position and see if it appeals to you with more positive experiences in that role.
Oh boy, you'll see more and more of that as time goes on. From broken families to sickness, it's awful. It's important to leave work at work if you can compartmentalize life like that.
It hasn't been easy. I'm 5 years in and I am yet to find the perfect way to recover from all the horrible stuff I see every single day.
I watch stupid shows, go do fun stuff with my husband and our dog. Spend time with my loved ones. It’s important to leave work at work. But if something does bother you it’s important to share with someone and kinda work it out of your system. I do this with my coworkers. A sort of debrief session. They understand what
I am talking about and can empathize.
Therapy ♥️
This. You have two ways of handling the horrible stuff. You either go to therapy early on and learn appropriate coping strategies or you stuff it inside you until over time you find it coming out in ways that that aren’t healthy. I wish I had someone tell me this as a new grad. I might not weigh what I do now and my relationships might be better.
By seeing “horrible stuff,” are you referring to stuff that is physically gross, mentally and emotionally challenging, covid related, or what? Just trying to gauge what it is you view as horrible stuff.
I’ve seen malpractice, many times; wounds that turned even my stomach, and many other parts of medical and psych that were sad to see.