How do you cope?

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Hello, My name is Brittany and I am taking a class that requires me to get feed back from Nurses and use it in a paper. So my question Is how do you cope with the heart breaking things that you have to endure during your nursing career? What methods do you use to help you cope?

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Specializes in ER.

I keep an attitude of detached compassion. Emotional boundaries in nursing are imperative. That also protects against the obnoxious patients and their outrageous behaviors.

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You might want to check with your instructor if it's okay to get answers from the internet. It usually isn't as you cannot guarantee the person you are interacting with is, in fact, a nurse. We have all kinds of people here.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Pediatric Float, PICU, NICU.

Lots of alcohol...?????

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Specializes in ED, med-surg, peri op.

There pain, grief, loss, poor outcome is there’s. Not mine. I’m there to support them and help where possible. I might not be able to change things, but sometimes just talking is enough to help them. Which is very rewarding, seeing how you’ve made a difference.

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Thank you all very much for your input. & our instructor actually told us to post on forums on the internet to get feed back thank you though.

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
On 1/24/2019 at 1:15 PM, blbm1993 said:

how do you cope with the heart breaking things that you have to endure during your nursing career? What methods do you use to help you cope?

I use humor- see my signature line.

As Ray Bradbury said, "Life is too serious to be taken seriously".

An example is when a patient coded on the geriatric psych unit. We staff did all the right things but the patient died anyway. When it was all over and I was later sitting with a sleeping patient who was on a 1:1 observation, I drew this in my little pocket journal:

2118074799_outtahere.jpg.1caad3b5d70f93056691d79085600a79.jpg

This is merely another way of perceiving the patient's death, as if he was a boarder in a hotel or a batter who had just struck out. The umpire clock reads TOD.

Humor helps me put things into perspective.

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Two things come to mind.

1. It is what it is. Everyone who has ever lived and everyone who will ever live will endure suffering.

2. It's not about me. I just happen to be there.

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
1 hour ago, Sour Lemon said:

It's not about me. I just happen to be there.

Wow, Sour, that is one profound statement!

To be able to separate yourself from your own personal feelings and do the job that you're meant to do, is truly a basic yet beautiful thing.

I gotta update this for the upgraded site, but for old times sake tis is for you:

2037829106_1000likes.jpg.d57029391a9a7a9968ac7d6b6a354c75.jpg

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
1 hour ago, Sour Lemon said:

It's not about me. I just happen to be there.

Okay- here's the updated version, Sour:

reaction.png.15741446f3a36f44e6417bc1b66e67c8.png

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Moved to nursing student assistance

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Thank you all very much for your input! Would you all be able to take a quick 4 question survey for me? TIA

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScZqOK29vTOlFf_eivt5XiXj2LxN39FVLNOK0BJGhai5K30Jg/viewform

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