I am a new RN. I need help/tips/advice on managing my psychological response after codes/emergencies. I've done OK with the logistics during the codes, and I stay very calm. In fact, I'm so calm during codes, it surprises me. I operate well at work and then fall apart when I get home.
When I get home I start sobbing, shaking, and cannot sleep. I feel wrecked for a couple days. I get very irritable.
I've tried calling a nurse friend and "debriefing" and that helps a bit. I've tried doing yoga and other exercise to calm down. It doesn't help.
Tips. Suggestions, please. I've gotten a little better after each code, but it is still destroying me for a few days after each one. What do you do? How do you deal?
I agree w/ all the above. but the real red flag is when, on some level, it doesn't bother you. just don't let yorself get so immune that "it's just a job". You are part of the solution. That is why there are nurses..........
"GOD answers all prayers. Sometimes the answer is no."
i too am a new nurse and recently experienced a trauma that really affected me. the pt was in an mva. his vehicle drove under a semi truck on the highway. we worked on the pt for hours trying to keep him alive and coded him three times. pt died of multiple system trauma. my husband travels back and forth at work to different gold mines daily for work. i have realized that pt's who affect me the most are ones who died of an accident. i relate my pt's injuries to my own loved ones and imagine what can really happen to people. nobody's invincible. life is so fragile. i believe it's normal to feel the way you do after experiencing situations like these and i also believe that over time, nurses develop a "tolerance". Not saying you won't always care about the patients or feel sympathy for them, but your reactions to these situations may change.
Update: doing much better with this. We had a mass casualty a few days ago with tons of violence/blood, and I did just fine. I was shaken up for a day after, then let it go. I must be acclimating.
Its true, you gradually grow "calluses" over the emotional spots. I feel it hard while I'm there, but I don't take a lot of stuff home with me anymore. I do what I can (and IMHO do it very well :) ) but then its over. We talk about it at work, sometimes for several days or the next week, sort of informal debriefing.
My hosp. does offer professional debriefing services. Even though you did well with your mass casualty (congrats!), it might still be worth looking into what about the violence bugs you in particular. Sometimes just identifying something wrong makes it that much less potent.
Its true, you gradually grow "calluses" over the emotional spots. I feel it hard while I'm there, but I don't take a lot of stuff home with me anymore. I do what I can (and IMHO do it very well :) ) but then its over. We talk about it at work, sometimes for several days or the next week, sort of informal debriefing.
My hosp. does offer professional debriefing services. Even though you did well with your mass casualty (congrats!), it might still be worth looking into what about the violence bugs you in particular. Sometimes just identifying something wrong makes it that much less potent.
JBudd,
I'm sure the trigger about violence is because I've been a victim of a violent crime myself, and seeing injuries from violence triggers my own "stuff" unconsciously, a little bit.
Doing very well with violent cases at work now, though.
i will probably end up sounding like an unsympathetic jerk by saying this but...sometimes you just need to suck it up.
your reaction sounds on the very end of the scale - bordering on extreme and inappropriate.
when i was a new emt (still in high school, not yet 18) an instructor told me this wisdom: "unless you caused the patient to die you have no reason to blame yourself. even if they die, everything you did was positive - for the patient and their family"
no more truthful words have ever been spoken.
unless your actions directly contributed to the demise of the patient - it really isn't your fault.
it is normal and healthy to feel sadness at the loss of a human life but you didn't make that person smoke or drink their whole life, run with a gang, do drugs or hang with seedy people. even in the rare case where a totally innocent person dies - your actions helped give that person a chance or provided comfort to the grieving family.
yes this sounds harsh but it is how you need to look at your job. it will make your life a lot easier.
i will probably end up sounding like an unsympathetic jerk by saying this but...sometimes you just need to suck it up.
your reaction sounds on the very end of the scale - bordering on extreme and inappropriate.
when i was a new emt (still in high school, not yet 18) an instructor told me this wisdom: "unless you caused the patient to die you have no reason to blame yourself. even if they die, everything you did was positive - for the patient and their family"
no more truthful words have ever been spoken.
unless your actions directly contributed to the demise of the patient - it really isn't your fault.
it is normal and healthy to feel sadness at the loss of a human life but you didn't make that person smoke or drink their whole life, run with a gang, do drugs or hang with seedy people. even in the rare case where a totally innocent person dies - your actions helped give that person a chance or provided comfort to the grieving family.
yes this sounds harsh but it is how you need to look at your job. it will make your life a lot easier.
um ... i believe op has discussed her (now resolving) difficulty as a newer nurse in dealing with the aftermath of intentionally-inflicted trauma.
not sure where smoking & drinking come in ... in terms of this particular thread. nor do i see where op expressed any sense of guilt over the deaths of these particular patients.
Nomadnurse, L.P.N.
24 Posts
I agree w/ all the above. but the real red flag is when, on some level, it doesn't bother you. just don't let yorself get so immune that "it's just a job". You are part of the solution. That is why there are nurses..........
"GOD answers all prayers. Sometimes the answer is no."