Higher incidence of depression among nurses

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Home Health.

I was just wondering if anyone has noticed a higher rate of depression among nurses. With the job, there is alot of stress, death and dying, dealing with angry doctors and bullying coworkers, etc. Alot of my coworkers are on antidepressants or antianxiety meds, including myself.

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Specializes in ICU, CV-Thoracic Sx, Internal Medicine.

hehehe. Yep, lots of nurses I work with either are currently on mood stabilizing meds or really need to be on some sort of treatment. Not sure if there's any published studies out there that correlate the two (or if they're realted) but I wouldn't be surprised if there is.

Me? I drink. beerchug.gif drink.gif

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Specializes in Urgent Care, Step-Down, and ER.

I'm going to have to disagree with that. It takes a lot to be a nurse. You should consider yourself real special to be a nurse. We learn to deal with a lot of adversities throughout our nursing careers and learn to deal with them. If you are a good nurse, you will know how to deal with them.

I'm not being offensive here, so don't misunderstand me, but if you can't deal with the adversities, maybe you are not cut out to be a nurse. Then you just push yourself putting yourself at risk for stress and depression.

Saving a life, caring for the ill and putting a smile on their face, pretty much makes up for all the stressful situations I deal with in a daily basis on the floors.

I got to give "HEAVY PROPS" to the floor nurses for being in thick and thin and caring for the patients. WE ARE THE BEST! God is watching us.

I'm excluding all those lazy nurses sitting behind a desk or do jobs like chart reviewing.

Okay I might have gone off topic, but I don't consider depression among nurses is due to work. If it is, CHANGE YOUR CAREER. Or you can just ruin your health and continue being depressed and stressed.

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Specializes in Urgent Care, Step-Down, and ER.

oh by the way, after reading this post, i'm going to go have a beer for all the stressed nurses out there and enjoy it... :D

to all the hardworking nurses out there... cheers!

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Specializes in Emergency, Trauma, Critical Care.

beer...there's a mood-altering substance for you :lol2:

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Specializes in Correctional, QA, Geriatrics.
I'm going to have to disagree with that. It takes a lot to be a nurse. You should consider yourself real special to be a nurse. We learn to deal with a lot of adversities throughout our nursing careers and learn to deal with them. If you are a good nurse, you will know how to deal with them.

I'm not being offensive here, so don't misunderstand me, but if you can't deal with the adversities, maybe you are not cut out to be a nurse. Then you just push yourself putting yourself at risk for stress and depression.

Saving a life, caring for the ill and putting a smile on their face, pretty much makes up for all the stressful situations I deal with in a daily basis on the floors.

I got to give "HEAVY PROPS" to the floor nurses for being in thick and thin and caring for the patients. WE ARE THE BEST! God is watching us.

I'm excluding all those lazy nurses sitting behind a desk or do jobs like chart reviewing.

Okay I might have gone off topic, but I don't consider depression among nurses is due to work. If it is, CHANGE YOUR CAREER. Or you can just ruin your health and continue being depressed and stressed.

LAZY nurses sitting behind a desk or doing jobs like chart reviewing? Did it ever cross your mind that some of us "lazy" nurses do these types of jobs because we have health issues that preclude bedside/floor nursing? And there can be considerable pressure doing that type of nursing also. It can be just as frustrating trying to meet multiple overlapping deadlines/billing goals/necessary documentation to obtain funding etc. when one is constantly interrupted by the phone, meetings, co workers/bosses dropping by to check in or pick your brain or the need to get from one end of town to an intake and then promptly have to backtrack to attend an appointment or audit.

In other words all areas of nursing encompass considerable stress and pressure. It does vary as to frequency or type but it does exist. Remember the old saying about walking a mile in someone elses shoes before you judge them. (Yes I paraphrased the saying but I think folks will get my meaning.)

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Specializes in Trauma ICU, Surgical ICU, Medical ICU.

I do think there is a higher incidence of depression among nurses. First, there is a proven relationship among people who work odd hours and depression. Secondly, there are more women diagnosed with depression than men, and as we all know, nursing is a predominately female profession, therefore there are more nurses diagnosed than in professions where there are more men or it is more of a mixture.

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Specializes in Neuro ICU and Med Surg.

Case managers work really hard to get those ready for discharge back to LTC or home with home care, or hospice. They also set up home care services, home PT/OT services, get equipment set up like hopital bed for home, they also set up home hospice, help those that are unisured get meidcaid if they qualify, help get meds at low cost to the pt. Lot of work involved and this can be VERY stressful. I was so greatful for them when I worked the med surg units.

They have NOTHING to do with the budget and lack of sitters. That is upper management/floor manager.

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Specializes in Operating Room Nursing.

I'm going to have to disagree with that. It takes a lot to be a nurse. You should consider yourself real special to be a nurse. We learn to deal with a lot of adversities throughout our nursing careers and learn to deal with them. If you are a good nurse, you will know how to deal with them.

I agree with you to a point, you do learn to deal with a lot of the emotional stresses with nursing. However, IMHO the health care facility should still provide counselling services to nurses and give us the the opportunity for debriefing after particular horrible incidents.

I'm not being offensive here, so don't misunderstand me, but if you can't deal with the adversities, maybe you are not cut out to be a nurse. Then you just push yourself putting yourself at risk for stress and depression.

I disagree with you here. I don't find this part of your post offensive but nurses are not robots. No human being can take high levels of stress, frustration and witness horrific injuries day after day with no adverse affects. We are not robots at some point we need to look after ourselves and our fellow nurses.

Saving a life, caring for the ill and putting a smile on their face, pretty much makes up for all the stressful situations I deal with in a daily basis on the floors.

I got to give "HEAVY PROPS" to the floor nurses for being in thick and thin and caring for the patients. WE ARE THE BEST! God is watching us.

I'm excluding all those lazy nurses sitting behind a desk or do jobs like chart reviewing.

Hmmm this is where you are actually being offensive, or maybe just resentful.

Okay I might have gone off topic, but I don't consider depression among nurses is due to work. If it is, CHANGE YOUR CAREER. Or you can just ruin your health and continue being depressed and stressed.

Rather than supporting your co-workers during stressful times, advocating for better staffing, etc, you say just get out of if you can't handle it.

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beer...there's a mood-altering substance for you :lol2:

hahaha! I read the OP and this is what I instantly thought also!! :lol2:

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Specializes in Acute Care.

I kinda agree with you. I like my job, and have great supportive co-workers. Mostly. But working night shift is starting to get to me. I've been doing it for four months now, and I'm just starting to notice that I'm grumpier and just don't quite feel right emotionally.

So I guess I'm kinda worried that even though I like my job, the shift I'm working might drive me to madness!!! Or heavy drinking. We'll see.

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Specializes in psych. rehab nursing, float pool.

GORN, 4 years experience and you believe you have it all figured out and have judged in a nutshell other nurses.

simply put. Amazing.

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