I am about to start nursing school in September, and I have a slight concern about working as a nurse. Do you find it is hard to leave work at work? If you experience something traumatizing or heart wrenching, does it overwhelm you when you go home? Is it hard to separate the two?
I hope to be an ER nurse one day, and I hear you see a lot of traumatizing things. I don't want to become emotionally drained or be constantly thinking of work while I'm not at work. While I realize nursing will be a huge part of my life, I don't want it overtake my life. It seems as though it is unavoidable for anyone in the medical profession to not be impacted by something that happens at work once and a while. But is it even possible to witness something devastating, and not think about it or dwell on it when you walk out the door?
At first it is hard, because everything is so new. Eventually you start seeing the same crap over and over again and it gets pretty easy to forget about.
Yes, I absolutely have a hard time leaving work at work. It is pretty stressful and I am working on ways to wind down after work so that I stay healthy!
Ugh...I am also starting school in September and the Oncology patients are my BIGGEST fear. I don't know if I will be able to handle it at all, my Mom passed away a year and a half ago at the age of 49 from Lung Caner...I saw what she went through and I don't know if I could ever go through something like that again.
My son is too busy with his own job, three kids, bratty wife and dysfunctional in-laws to care (I haven't heard from him, in three weeks).
My sister and BIL have too many problems of their own (health, financial and otherwise), and don't want to hear mine. All they want is their rent money on the 15th and the 30th. That's a terrible thing to say, but unfortunately it's true.
That's why I come here....without fear of being blown off or being told to "deal with it".
As others have said, some things are harder to handle than others. You try to keep a professional distance while also building a rapport with your patient. It is a fine line.
And you will always have one or two patients that just steal your heart. It is hard to see them go.
Make sure you have a good support system, both at work and at home. At work you can talk about specific events, while at home you can concentrate on other things to heal your heart.
You cant do this job for long and not get too close at least once, or see something that will stick with you forever, it happens. We must all learn to deal with it in our own way.
As others have said, some things are harder to handle than others. You try to keep a professional distance while also building a rapport with your patient. It is a fine line.
And you will always have one or two patients that just steal your heart. It is hard to see them go.
Make sure you have a good support system, both at work and at home. At work you can talk about specific events, while at home you can concentrate on other things to heal your heart.
You cant do this job for long and not get too close at least once, or see something that will stick with you forever, it happens. We must all learn to deal with it in our own way.
soulofme
317 Posts
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