ICU nightmares

BeenThere2012, ASN, RN · Jun 11, 2016

I guess its good to know that I'm not the only one who does this, but I do it almost every night. Sometimes its three or four different dreams per night and I wake up in between terrified. I get that the cause is stress, but guys, I've been doing this for more than two decades. Why am I STILL having these nightmares constantly? And, more importantly, what do I need to do to stop them??? This is a very real problem for me!!

I hear ya...more than 20 years for me as well. My opinion is that we have too much on our plates. Expected to be responsible for so much and the responsibilities grow everyday even if it only means 1 more check box for us to chart something. It is often too many things to remember to chart or more complex...either way it is a lot for us to handle. There are other professions with high stress and demand, but I am not sure if they are scrutinized as closely as nurses. It makes me crazy!

Editorial Team / Moderator · Jun 15, 2016

Last night I dreamed that I was trying desperately to assess my patient and I couldn't hear anything through my stethoscope, and when I looked at it I realized that the tubing was all cracked and open. I think it was a sign that I should buy a new Littmann Cardiology IV!