breakdown at work

Nurses Stress 101

Published

working for almost a year..told myself will never cry at work...ive had good days and bad, but today was one of those that pushed me to the edge...I broke down in front of a colleague, and I guess others could tell due to my red eyes...

has anyone cried due to stress/frustration...I am embarrassed now and realized how unprofessional it was.

Specializes in retired LTC.

A couple of shedding-a-tear episodes, but have also experienced 2 major meltdowns with full-blown hyperventilation distress.

High stress preceded sniffling, which then escalated into crying, and then sobbing. Followed by the gasping, sucking-air hyperventilating.

Fortunately, peers got me thru the episodes. Don't ever want to go thru them again!!!

So, it's OK to experience emotion at work. We all do!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

You wouldn't be human if you didn't. We all cry, whether happy, sad, frustrated, or angry tears. Just stay professional in front of the pts and you'll be fine. :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Orthopedic, LTC, STR, Med-Surg, Tele.

I have very definitely cried at work... not in front of patients. You're human! It's a natural expression of strong emotion, whether it be frustration, happiness, sadness, whatever.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Once on orientation I had a patient who had *newly diagnosed* stage 4 CA. Young mom, huge family. She was very mild mannered and sweet in a quiet way. This day we had a family meeting with our team of docs, oncology, social work, and pastoral care to tell everyone that she was nearing the end and she decided to change her code status to DNR/DNI. She was so peaceful, but as she was saying she was ready if it was her time, her husband, holding their toddler, started to cry (along with the 10-15 other family members in the room). The worst was watching their middle school aged son choking back sobs, just falling apart. To this day the image of that boy still haunts me. Point being, no staff member would leave that room with dry eyes from the attending, to nursing staff, to housekeeping! Our jobs can be incredibly sad and at times relentlessly heartbreaking. We're only human.

I have also cried over frustration, which again...who can honestly blame us?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Psych, LTC/SNF, Rehab, Corrections.

I teared up at the bedside of my dying hospice resident.

He was sent to the hospital (don't look at us, hospice said 'send 'em out' and the nurses did) and sent right back via EMT transport. He was in bad shape. It was a hard fight and now it's over.

It was fine, though. The EMT started tearing up long before I did.

We were talking about his condition as we transferred him and whatnot? The EMT remarked about the resident's tears. She started tearing up. The other was solemn. I was already trying to hold it with my hands on my hips and I was dabbing at my eyes with my knuckles trying to get through the status update by the end of it.

I have a time dealing with resident deaths. We've got another circling the drain as I speak. He is going down and it's happening so fast. SMH It's gonna be rough. Alz/Dementia is just horrible. I couldn't imagine being a wife and watching my husband deteriorate like that. When the resident's wife came in to sign the hospice paperwork? She just broke down crying. I mean - she crumpled and boo-hooed! Body-wracking sobs. The ADON and DON moved to console her before I did and I just...had to get the hell outta there! LOL

I've never cried over the stress of the job. I yelled at an aide, then had a profanity-laced meltdown in the breakroom with my coworker, though. LOL He just listened. That's how I handle work frustration. I yell, curse and chew people out.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med/Surg, LTACH, LTC, Home Health.

I NEVER have! The mean streak in me REFUSES to give the bean counters the satisfaction! But boy have I had some wind in my jaws!!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

((HUGS)) and the simple answer is ....ABSOLUTELY.....Definitively......yes!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I rarely cry. When I do , it is usually because I feel completely overwhelmed mixed in with some anger. i have gotten teary at work and a few times people saw . I ignore it , they ignore it and we move on. I am much more likely to get annoyed and then say something snarky or sarcastic. i have seen co workers cry just more like teary , due to pt deaths a few times. Have seen very few nurses in hysterics usually after a code or a pt or family member yelling/ screaming about something the nurse can't even control. It happens. ait depends who you work with, to be honest I can see some staff thinking someone who started crying is too emotionally unstable to work there . There would definitely be gossiping about this. May be the group ai work with but i know not all take kindly to someone crying. a lot if "just suck it up" attitude. I do that but then I am not going to cry at sad stuff either which seems to unsettle some people......

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Hospice.
Once on orientation I had a patient who had *newly diagnosed* stage 4 CA. Young mom, huge family. She was very mild mannered and sweet in a quiet way. This day we had a family meeting with our team of docs, oncology, social work, and pastoral care to tell everyone that she was nearing the end and she decided to change her code status to DNR/DNI. She was so peaceful, but as she was saying she was ready if it was her time, her husband, holding their toddler, started to cry (along with the 10-15 other family members in the room). The worst was watching their middle school aged son choking back sobs, just falling apart. To this day the image of that boy still haunts me. Point being, no staff member would leave that room with dry eyes from the attending, to nursing staff, to housekeeping! Our jobs can be incredibly sad and at times relentlessly heartbreaking. We're only human.

I have also cried over frustration, which again...who can honestly blame us?

OMG I'm going to be a terrible nurse! I cried just reading this!:cry:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in neuro/ortho med surge 4.

Have cried quite a few times due to stress my first year as a nurse. I have cried when my patients died. It is hard not to when you see family members sobbing when they know their family member is dying. I would rather see a feeling nurse rather than an unfeeling one as long as the nurse was not hysterical. I have never been ashamed of it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med/surg, Quality & Risk.

Crying occasionally - normal.

Crying, freaking out and panicking daily - unprofessional, bordering on incompetent.

We have both at our facility. I'm sure everyone does.

ETA: Oh, and don't forget "threatening to quit daily" in my second description!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I actually cried in front of a patient once. They were a new admit, the DEA rules had just changed for narotics prescriptions, I was having a very very difficult time getting their narcs and they were in a lot of pain. On top of that, I was the only nurse there (should have been 2 others) plus a fresh out of school orientee, and we were in way over our heads. This patient's family member yells at me when I have to tell them yet again that the off site pharmacy hasn't called me back and neither has the doctor. I couldn't help it. I cried. Right there in front of patient and family. I felt so bad that this person was in pain and I couldn't fix it, frustrated and angry and the whole situation, and then was yelled at. I told them what was going on and how it was out of my control and apologized profusely.

I did my best to fix the situation. I eventually got what was needed. Once everyone was mollified, the patient and family member actually apologized to me.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment