Any PTSD from nursing?

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Jun 24, 2015

Definitely. This is a 'thing' in nursing.... here is a recent article in PubMed but is being called many different things like 'compassion fatigue' and 'cumulative stress disorder'. If you look at the links to similar articles on that page, you can see that this has been recognized and is being studied all over the world.

Marshall1 · Jun 24, 2015

YES. Definitely, yes, yes, yes.

FlyingScot, RN · Jun 24, 2015

It wasn't the nursing it was some of my co-workers but definitely yes.

coderunnerRN · Jun 25, 2015

Absolutely! I am struggling from this as well.

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Jun 25, 2015

I'm pretty sure I had it---I was a total stress-monkey during my career, which ended too early due to both physical and mental issues. I still wake up nights sometimes with my heart in my throat, thinking I've missed something critical with a patient.....until I wake up a little more and realize I don't have to do that anymore. :)

SubSippi · Jun 25, 2015

I don't think it's PTSD exactly, but I have been more and more frequently having nightmares about my patients dying because I forgot something. Never about actively making a mistake, always forgetting.

Marshall1 · Jun 25, 2015

This site talks more about this subject: Compassion Fatigue Awareness Project

Purple_roses · Jun 25, 2015

I'm quite certain that I don't have anything close to PTSD, but I will have nightmares that my loved ones have the same illnesses that my clients have. For instance, I cared for a gentleman with Alzheimer's and had several dreams that my parents had it too. Odd thing is, I didn't feel that stressed about it while I was at work.

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · Jun 25, 2015

Here are some experiences posted in the past about this subject:

https://allnurses.com/nursing-activism-healthcare/ptsd-amp-nurses-936679.html

https://allnurses.com/emergency-nursing/ptsd-in-nurses-966171.html

I think that PTSD can occur; in most cases it has been referred to as secondary PTSD.

Depending on what places one works, there are resources for debriefing when that happens; also employee assistance programs (EAP) is also a good resource to help debrief as well if there is not a dedicated debriefing system in place.

Rokufox · Jul 25, 2015

Yes. I have considerable PTSD from being a nurse just a short time. It has greatly exaggerated my depression/anxiety issues, and affects me outside of work and causes me to dread coming back. I don't think people realize how much stress we have to deal with and that it really does affect us. It affects me all the time, and not in a good way.