Nursing & Depression

Nurses Stress 101

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  1. Nurses and Depression/Anxiety

    • 401
      I think the incidence of depression/anxiety is higher in nursing than other professions.
    • 264
      I feel depression/anxiety has interfered with my job performance.
    • 260
      I feel nursing has played a part in my depression
    • 23
      I feel administration is as supportive to nurses w/ depression/anxiety as w/ other diseases

460 members have participated

While visiting in the lounge one day, we discovered that every nurse there was on an anti-depressant.

I have had 'Treatment Resistant Depression' for about 20 years--as long as I've been a nurse. Now I am totally burned out, on major meds, and am seeking disability d/t depression/anxiety.

I beleive years of long hours, high stress, high expectations and little appreciation (from management, not patients) has contributed to this.

How many other jobs consider you a tratior b/c you call in sick? And trying to get off for a sick child is an unforgivable sin. How many other jobs want you to work overtime on the days you are scheduled, call you at all hours of the night or day when you are off, first pleading w/ you to come in, then laying a guilt trip on you if you say "NO!" And let's not forget the mandatory inservices and CEU's that take time away from your family.

If any profession should understand the importance of the individuals' physical, mental, social and spiritual self it should be nursing--after all we are taught in nursing school about treating the patient as a whole, not just a disease! Why don't we treat our staff the same way.

Anyone out there in the same boat?

I hope sphinx and carpe are all right. They haven't checked in lately.

MattsMom, that is really great. "NO" is one of the things I'm working on right now, too.

I also realized that I am always worrying about other people's feelings. Wouldn't want to say or do anything to hurt anyone! When I recognized that I am doing that, I decided that I need to keep firmly in my mind that other people's feelings aren't my responsibility. Not that it's OK to deliberately say unkind things, but it's OK to respond to and promote my own needs, and let other people worry about their own. I'm trying to learn to be more selfish; to remember that my first responsibility is to myself.

You folks on this thread are just terrific. MattsMom, keep posting and don't let 'em drive you too hard. Even an old plow horse gets a bag of grain, and a rub down at the end of the day. Surely we should give ourselves at least that much! :D

Hello......my kitty Pebbles had her surgery on Wednesday. She had a radical mastectomy, removed her entire mammary chain on the R side as week as lymph nodes. Vet says everything looks fine, and they sent off tissue for pathology. She has a HUGE incision, and had a drain, which they just removed today. They had a Duragesic patch too, which they also removed today, if she needs a new one, I can take her in for that. She seems to be doing good......eaing and drinking, and fiesty as ever. We have to give chase every day when it time to give her her antibiotics!. She goes for a follow up next week.

Wish I was doing as well.have been more tired than even usual, and I am usually very tired! It's been bad to where I feel like I am gonna fall asleep driving, at work, occasionally find my car going towards the side of the road. I've been blowing stuff off whenever possible, but since my case load was getting low, my boss transferred a bunch of patients to me, and I am so confused and disorganized, I couldn't tell you thing one about them, let alone manage their care! I told her I was really disorganized, and she's like "aren't we all", or some such nonsense.

Meanwhile, my dysfunctional gallbladder hurts more and more.......pretty much all the time. It's never felt like classic gallbladder symptoms, now the pain has actually moved to the right side, but in many ways is still not typical. I left a message with the PA at my GI doc's office to ask her some questions, but she didn't call back yet. Even though the HIDA scan showed problems, I can't help thinking the pain's all in my head. I imagine I'll want surgery, but getting off work.....I have no sick time, and I doubt I'd be off long enougvh for disab lility to help much, like it helps much anyway, after I had my TAH I got like 115$ a week disability pay.

Then, I'm having a hard time adapting to the whole step son thing. My husband and I and my kids have been a family for 4 years, and it's really hard having a new kid around, in our lives. Esp since him and my youngest fight like Rabid Dogs. We were talking about Christmas today, and that is my most special favorite holiday, with special traditions, and I get very upset when things are changed. So were talking about this today when we out at breakfast, and I was feeling quite depressed and down, cuz what can ya say? He is my husbands son, ya know?!

THEN, on the way home, some a**hole rearends us. My special car, the nicest car I ever had that was just mine. The car I got for work. MY car. The back panel is cracked and will need to be replaced. And I'm confused. My husband and the guy just exchanged insurance info....I thought you always needed a police report? Also, I thought you were supposed to call your insurance right away....he says he can't call till Monday. This is gonna be another big expense, if insurance doesn't cover it, and if it's screwed up because he is doing it wrong I am going to be so pissed! We just forked out 1300$$ for my kitty's surgery, if insurance doesn't cover this, it'll run at least 500-1200$$, and my husband can't even remember our deductible, so it might be 500 anyway, and here I am looking at having surgery and spending time off work, WAS thinking of quitting to relieve stress, well forget that now! Our savings will be gone, no cushion to fall back on, not to mention we've been planning a vacation to Vancouver next fall, our first vacation together, and my first vacation in, oh.......15 years or so. Plus I really felt the impact, my knees hit the dashboard, the seatbelt across my abdomen, and my head snapping forward (and now I have a killer headache). My husband's out talking with the guy, buying his lame story, when fact is, he wasn't even looking! His brakes didn't even make a screech sound, he just slammed into us straight away! So when the guy and my husband were out there laughing at something, it reminded me of my divorce, when the opposing attorneys would get together and shoot the shit, talking and laughing like best buds.

I said to my husband, I hope the next person who hits us would just kill me and get it over with. He said "it's just a car, it can be fixed". He doesn't get it, he just deoesn't get it. He usually understands, but I think he's got his head in the sand mode. I don't think he'll ever clean out the garage, so much for our nice new house, with our nice garage to keep the snow and ice off the car.

I'm in a mood. Sorry. Bad day. Bad week. Bad month. Bad year. Bad life.

Hey, all..........

Two days off and taking time to self, my own self. Doing what I want to do. Well, almost. But Sean Connery was otherwise engaged.....hehehehe

poor attempt at humour.....

Actually just checking in. Hey all. It is good to see all hanging in in this thing called life. Life can just be a kicker sometimes.....and then it kicks again.......

But I guess.....all I can do is what I can do.........so that I will.........

hey, the smiles are real when they come......... :-)

no wisdom here, just 'LUV' to all,

micro

"story of my day, week, month, lifetime"

News at 10.................not!!!

Sphinx -

You are depressed because you are overwhelmed as anyone would be. But, you do what I do. I nurse everyone but myself. It is time for you to nurse yourself - or you won't be able to nurse anyone else.

Set priorities.

First - physical.

Abdominal pain - sounds a bit funny, could it be pancreatitis? Please note all - I am not diagnosing, just suggesting a dx Sphix may want to bring up with MD. I just read a little about it - radiation to back, etc. often seen. Try to avoid fats as much as you can until you see the MD or PA - works for either gall baldder or pancreatitis. If severe, go to ER, make sure they hear every symptom you have - and, if you have to, the liability attached to not taking these symptoms seriously if, indeed, there is a problem.

Fatigue: Can be due to many sources - anemia, illness, stress, and depression. If other sources have been ruled out I would ask your psychiatirst why he is choosing to be so conservative when you are the one suffering. Offer to write a letter taking full responsibility for any adverse outcomes resuling from taking Provigil, say. Again, something to discuss with MD - I AM NOT PRESCRIBING OR RECOMMENDING ANY SPECIFIC MED - just topics of conversation. And, of course, I expect your psychiatrist has ruled out other sources.

(Sorry for shouting folks. Just trying to prevent an expected fall out that came on another thread.)

2 - Work stress

Um, you might want to offer to take a few patients, that's all. Your manager's stress is NOT your stress, it is not your responsibility to relieve it. You can help her by doing a fair part of the job, not all. I know you need money but if you are fired for this, you will be entitled to unemployment. Check with others. They cannot ask you to do 16 hours of work in an 8 hour day, so "firing with cause" is crap. I know there is paper work, fighting involved - it's less than what you are doing now.

If the place you work has half a brain, all you have to say is something like, "well, this is impossible, I will have to leave and apply for unemployment", will give you want you want. Better to go to Human Resources, if possible, say you don't know what to do, you've asked for a reduction in work load, the manager refuses, you know it's impossible. Wait for their response. If they do not offer to correct, say you will have to leave, go for unemployment.

If they do reduce your workload, go back to your manager and say, "Thank you. I just couldn't handle that workload, I'm so glad you can see that."

It is ridicuolous to have to go through this but it works. Start manager, if nothing human resources, if nothing unemployment, fight if necessary.

But, you do need to follow these steps to document to those above that you have followed them. Unemployment will require this type of thing.

HOME Stress:

Car breaks gets hit, husband says, "Just a car" say "Thank you, for offering to take care of it for me. You're right, it's just a car. I just don't have time."

In other words, spread the nursing around. Allow others to nurse you at home. You can't nurse everyone without a little nursing in return.

These are things I have leared very slowly. But, you do need help. Do what you must to get it.

Would you do any less for a patient?

Originally posted by abrenrn

It is time for you to nurse yourself - or you won't be able to nurse anyone else

>>>

First - physical.

Abdominal pain - sounds a bit funny, could it be pancreatitis?

>>>>

Fatigue: Can be due to many sources - anemia, illness, stress, and depression.

>>>>>

If other sources have been ruled out I would ask your psychiatirst why he is choosing to be so conservative when you are the one suffering.

>>>>>.

Offer to write a letter taking full responsibility for any adverse outcomes resuling from taking Provigil, say.

>>>>

2 - Work stress

Um, you might want to offer to take a few patients, that's all. Your manager's stress is NOT your stress, it is not your responsibility to relieve it. You can help her by doing a fair part of the job, not all.

>>>>>

HOME Stress:

Car breaks gets hit, husband says, "Just a car" say "Thank you, for offering to take care of it for me. You're right, it's just a car. I just don't have time."

>>>>>

>>>

. But, you do need help. Do what you must to get it.

>>>

>>>>[/b]

Sphinx -

I don't have any problem with your responses, they are your explanations - and they help me understand better.

But also note, I have the same problem - not in the same place, certainly do not have anywhere near the stressors you have, which is why I can sound so wise now.

I think if your pain is that bad, you're not getting results, it's interfereing with your life, go to ER. Don't tell them how long you had it. They will treat as a "hot abdomen" and do full work up. Since there has been minimal response from your primary care provider over this, you have no choice. You are in pretty significant pain, I think. In the abdomen can always be something serious (note - can be, may not be, but a decent ER must act as if it is serious until they are sure it is not).

As to leaving the house for a while to go, wake your husband up.

Don't mean to sound flip. I know a lot of the feelings, pain behind this. Sometimes you just have to do what needs to be done regardless of the feelings and pain. That's what I have to do. That's what you do for your patients.

We'll get to your "lack of organizational skills" later. There is often more to this than meets the eye. I have found after believing that it was always my poor organizational skills that made me seem slower.

Hang in.

Also - another reason for ER - this could be a very acute gall bladder attack. Nothing to ignore. My brother tried to ignore his until he couldn't take it anymore - ended up with gangrene, bad infections. Got lucky, after antibiotics they were able to do minimally invasive procedure instead of opening him up.

Sphinx,

I don't remember if we have asked about this before, but have you been r/o fibromyalgia? The tiredness, the brain fog.....

When I started taking elavil I improved immensely.

Just a thought......

And glad to hear your kitty is doing well...

cargal,

when they check you for fibro, that's when they check the trigger points right? If so, then yes, I was tested......For years I had severe pelvic pain and after treating it medically, went to a pelvic pain doc, who believed in ruing out ALL possible causes, fibro being one of them.

I would think elevil would make you more tired and foggy? how different is it from it's "cousin" pamelor? I've been on that-twice-and it made me a major zombie.

Now I'm going to retire to my heating pad before deciding if I want to go out in the cold and then sit for hours in this city's overcrowded ED's (yes, closing that hospital was a grand idea, idiots).....grrrrr........

oh, I don't have a fever....I checked, so it seems unlikley I have an infection.

Originally posted by NancyRN

Adrienurse I'm so sorry this has happened to you! I am going through a meltdown myself these past weeks. Personal problems at home combined with a stressful work environment caused me to just crawl into a shell when I lost a patient. I've asked to be taken off the schedule for the next 6 weeks so I could heal. I keep in touch and have filled in a few 4 hour shifts. No one asks how I'm doing. It's like they can't take on ONE MORE THING! I can't blame them.

Mario, it was like a lighting bolt to read your post. Of COURSE it's horrible to be around someone who's depressed! I don't know why it never occurred to me that my family also suffers when I get this way. I suppose I just don't have anything left to give, so they are the ones who get the brunt of it.

My Grandma used to say, "If you don't have any apples in your basket, you can't give any away!" When someone was in a bad mood we'd say, "She hasn't got any apples today!" Simplistic, but it makes sense!

Im so sorry your going through this. please dont make it harder on yourself by thinking that you are making your family suffer. Im sure they love you very much and would do anything for you. I can tell just by the way you said all of this that you feel you dont deserve the concern or sympathy, but you do. you are a good person. you have much to give. are you taking anything? do you feel responsible for this death at work. I feel bad, because I can hear your pain from here, i really can. I hope things get better. I will pray for you.

Sphinx,

Elavil works by helping you complete your sleep cycle correctly. Without it, I could sleep 8-10 hours/night and a nap and still wake up in the am like a truck hit me kind of tired, and go through the day like I was walking or swimming through mud-every second was such an effort. I also had Left shoulder muscular pain, sharp and stabbing, hurt all over skin pain , deep bone pain, and with elavil they have all gone and I wake up refreshed. I still tire easily and have to pace myself and eegads, nap, but I feel so much better, so much more clarity of thought, brain fog gone. I too was negative for the trigger points, but I have the elavil and feel better, so...... who cares what you call it. I don't believe they really know how to diagnose this condition and in the future it will change. I read recently somewhere that 'growing pains" in kids may be a precursor to fibromyalgia. As far as pamelor and elavil, I really don't know if they are closely related. I will look into it and get back to ya....also about the sleep cycle explanation.

I do agree with the postor who said get thyself to the ER. The pain you are experiencing now may be independent of what you had previously been diagnosed, at the very least!

BTW, we bought a car for my 17 yo daughter. She drives too fast sometimes, doesn't quite "get it", and hydroplaned recently with $1400 damage, and I am alot like you, but this time I did say that both she and my other daughter in the car are safe, and this may have a positive outcome that we may never know- as she has slowed down. Messed up her special car! I figured that was worth $1400. I realize there may not be a lesson with your car, but you weren't injured, and your children are safe.

My grandmother committed suicide when I was in first grade, and I was very angry that she robbed me of someone I needed. I did forgive her as I grew older and I realized how deep one's pain could be. But when you talk about being a sucky mother, we all are sometimes and they love you and need you. You will get better; don't even think about robbing them pleez.

Blessings,

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