Dreams

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Specializes in Neuro.

Do any of you ever have disturbing dreams about work? I've had two since I've been a RN, which is only about 3 months!

The first one was one of my residents (I work long term care) was walking down the hallway. This resident does not walk and has a belt on for safety so I run down the hall to try to talk her back into her wheel chair. When I get close, I realize that all I can see is the whites of her eyes. She, then, falls on top of me and I fight to get out from under her because I'm terrified of her.

The second dream occurred today. I was at work trying to give a combative resident an IM shot of Ativan (happens more than it should at my job) and I successfully inject the shot. She, then, somehow gets the needle and stab it into my arm. In my dream, I suddenly remember that this resident has Hepatitis B. I start freaking out and crying....then I woke up.

Anybody else have any crazy dreams? Care to share?

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Specializes in Trauma Surgical ICU.

Oh yeah I have.. I have the mostly when I try to nap before work. I work 7p to 7a and sometimes I get up early and need that nap.. It ranges from not being able to find my stuff, my pts, being 3 hours late etc.. They have gotten less as time goes on. I chalk it up to being new and stressed :)

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For the first year I worked an ICU/CCU I dreamed through every code. I guess the experiences were embedding into my brain. Once I was fairly comfortable handling codes, the dreams stopped!

When I worked NICU, I dreamed I had brought a favorite baby home, then was trying to figure out to take care of it and sneak it back into the NICU without being caught. That was more disturbing than reliving the codes.

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Specializes in acute/critical care.

Happens to everyone. My worst is that it is after hours in the hospital and I help rush a patient on a gurney into emergency surgery and somehow it is ME who ends up on the table (don't know how...) and I am lying there completely chemically paralyzed but WIDE AWAKE. AND I KNOW THE SURGEON IS COMING.

My husband woke me up after that one...I was apparently thrashing around and whining in my sleep.

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Yes, and they're called nightmares.

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Specializes in Hospice / Psych / RNAC.

I would be more concerned if the patient had Hep C (lol) anyway sounds like you're able to work through the obvious stress you feel from your job. LTC can be extremely stressful; extremely stressful.

They sound like stessmares because nightmares would leave you terrified and afraid to go back to sleep (or maybe they do). If they don't then you are just working through some high level stress

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Specializes in Hem/Onc, LTC, AL, Homecare, Mgmt, Psych.

The first one was one of my residents (I work long term care) was walking down the hallway. This resident does not walk and has a belt on for safety so I run down the hall to try to talk her back into her wheel chair. When I get close, I realize that all I can see is the whites of her eyes. She, then, falls on top of me and I fight to get out from under her because I'm terrified of her. Anybody else have any crazy dreams? Care to share?

That is funny, I have had a very similar dream --I work in a LTC also. There is a very large lady that resides at my place of employment. I had a dream once that she was falling out of her bed so I went to go catch her, realized my folly (because she is roughly 4-5 times my size) and try to stop myself but she falls on top of me anyway. I'm stuck and uncomfortable, and a little scared because she is very demented. I can't reach the call light or any staff to come rescue me or the resident! I wonder what our human trap dreams mean? :rolleyes:

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Specializes in Psych.

I have dreams like this every night before I'm due at the hospital and I'm just a student!

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Wow, Can i call you Lady Jessica?

Lady Jessica i analyze dreams and i caught your post. You have different things happening. When that person falls on you. That's fear that everything will come down on you and you will have no control of it Your fighting trying to get out from under her is the weight that you might be thinking your going to have carry as a nurse and if your really ready to do this. The other dream of someone stabbing you Being stabbed means your feeling pinned down in some way. It was a massive, painful needle indicates that you're dealing with extreme frustration or being hurt or torn due to a situation or person in your life. The needle symbolizes an aspect in your life that needs to repair or for connective purposes. Are you annoyed or feel "needled" by someone?. Now this is not really a science i do this for fun. But if any of this makes sense to you. All i can tell you is relax take breaths do a 360 ( look all around you ) in your life. One more thing stop trying to be in control let things slide every now and then. These are my thoughts and good luck with your career as a nurse. Remember you are where you are suppose to be at this moment and time.

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Specializes in Health Information Management.

Oh sure, everybody in a stressful job has those nightmares about work, no matter what the field. Here's a non-nursing example: when I worked as a journalist, I had a recurring dream that someone had taken me to court saying I'd made up everything I'd written. I'd be up on the witness stand and would produce my notes and minicassette tapes from the interviews as proof - only to find I was holding a blank notebook and silent tapes. Then the entire courtroom, including the judge (who would often resemble my boss), would start screaming things like "Liar!" and "Let's get the &8%$#!" and start running towards me. I would try to run, but I wouldn't be able to move.

I often had that dream when I was working on a controversial story, and I invariably woke up from it in a cold sweat. I lived in fear of making a big mistake, and that's how my mind processed that fear. The dreams became less common as I grew more experienced, but they didn't go away completely until a couple of years after I stopped working in that field. Weird or horrible dreams just seem to come with the territory of a stressful job, at least in my experience.

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Before my very first clinical in nursing school, I dreamt that I had a ninety yr old lady that coded on me and died... Needless to say, I was hoping that my patient assignment that day was NOT a 90 yr old, lol

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Specializes in NeuroICU/SICU/MICU.

I had a crazy dream about work last night. I work on an adult stepdown tele unit. I dreamt it was my first night off orientation, and my assignment consisted of 9 dogs..and a baby! I was so stressed out trying to figure out how to assess the dogs and pass meds on time. Tomorrow night is my actual first night off orientation, so I'm sure I'm just having some anxiety about that :p

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