If you've ever cried at work...

[Katie5]

Did you feel better afterwards?

[AlabamaBelle]

Yes, I have cried at work.

We, as nurses, are witnesses to the most intimate moments of life - when a baby is born and we hear that beautiful first cry and when we gently ease someone through the next door to heaven or whatever you perceive the afterlife.

I am there when a child dies. It makes no difference if the death was "expected" (our frequent fliers with what we know is a time limiting illness) or "the unexpected". I cry with the families, hugs are given if the family so chooses. I perform my duties, but with tears on my face. I have sat after my shift rocking the small one, singing, until the funeral director comes to take the child away.

I cried when the mom of a child "fired" me. In reality, it had been exactly one month since my precious mother died. Did others see - most definitely.

I have also cried in my nurse manager's office, along with my ANMs. We've known each other for fifteen years. The issues are many, but the shoulders have always been there for me. Her office is a safe place to fall apart.

If I can't cry, I will need to re-evaluate my humanity.

[Roxana Ojeda]

One day I was in practice, I had to make a control to a healthy baby boy aged 1 year and 7 months, but the problem started when I learned that the child was accompanied by her mother's neighbor, I could not make my assessment as befitted besides the lady was very rushed, in fact you do not want the general physical examination and segmental, as well the baby was restless, he behaved very badly, I tried also to undertake the EEDP, but was so distracted that I could not carry out, then me a little nervous, I forgot to refer the child to the nutritionist as she was obese, had it not been for my teacher would continue without the slightest care for them. At the end of assisting the less, I vent to my companions, they listened to me but the teacher resented the way I express, and sheer helplessness and rage broke into tears, I was comforted by one of my classmates, all of this I dislike enough situation that the monitoring was not conducted in the best way was not as effective.

[carolina camila]

My experience is attached to the care of older adults who are abandoned by their kin and this in turn leads to decay in them and thus provoke strong emotional wear and caregivers are linked romantically with them. Among the practices that made a nurse must provide assistance in relation to those users with these problems you see what your help to solve the problems they are helping to overcome their emotional problems.

[lika]

worst thing would be to express their feelings and not hide these because one does not focus on the patient and poor delivery care

[RhiaRN75, RN]

I've cried a good number of times at work, it doesn't make me feel better or worse.... it just is. Some situations strip away your defensive wall and the only proper thing to do is cry a little.

I've only cried once because I lost my temper. The situation had a good ending but I hate losing control. To me, crying and losing control are not necessarily the same thing.

[sistasoul]

I have only been a nurse a short time. I worked in LTC for 5 months when I Graduated last year. Evert time one of my little old Peeps would die I would cry. Most of these people did not have family come visit them and you truly do become like family to them. It was always so sad to me when they died because I knew they had children and I would never see them visiting and were not present when their parent passed.

I have worked on a med surge floor for 6 months now and have cried quite a few times. Just last night I cried because of being overwhelmed (went to the bathroom to do this). Another time was when I had an elderly man who came up from Florida to visit his son and fell down upon arrival to the son's house. This man broke his hip and never recovered.

Last week I had an elderly lady from a nursing home who was unable to swallow and was NPO with TPN running. She also had C-diff, MRSA, etc. She did not have any children and her husband was elderly and not in good health. I had an infectious disease Doc order an NG tube for this poor soul as a last ditch effort to get VAncomycin into her PO. I had another nurse come with me to show me how to insert this tube. I thought why are they doing this to this poor woman? I was not successful in trying to put the NG tube in.The more experienced nurse could not get it in her either. I had tears streaming down my face as I seen the distress this was causing this poor soul. I kick myself now for not questioning the Doc about this order. My gut was telling me she would not be a good candidate. Thankfully this woman was put on CMO and died 2 days later.

Also, when people passed in the hospital that I had taken care of I had cried. If I see family members cry it makes me cry. I had one man singing hymns to his wife as she was dying. Other nurses tell me I will get "used to it". I always say, "The day I get used to it is the day I leave nursing".

[nuangel1, BSN, RN]

yes i have cried a few times at work.once ,we had just coded for the 3rd time and lost a 36 yr old new mother.mom had strep a sepsis and died from that her baby had been born still born that am .i was with her family did all i needed to do they were distraught at the double loss the husband was devastated.when everything was done i went to side area in my icu and cried.my coworkers understood.i also cried other times at a different job while finding out my brotherinlaw died and different time that my mom was critically ill.again my coworkers understood.my boss supported me in leaving both days .maybe i have just been lucky in who i work with .it did not matter to me what they thought if they saw it as a weakness.i did not care then or now.its honest emotion.

[jschut, BSN, RN]

Yes I have cried for various reasons. And i was also reassured by an instructor a long while ago.... to cry shows that you are human, and that you care.

[Katie5]

I have only been a nurse a short time. I worked in LTC for 5 months when I Graduated last year. Other nurses tell me I will get "used to it". I always say, "The day I get used to it is the day I leave nursing".

This just stands out to me because I feel the same. The day I get used to patients dying and not feel anything is the day

I know nursing and I have come to a parting of ways.

[**All Heart RN**]

Not to sound cheesy or over the top but...what's wrong with crying every now and then? I can understand not wanting to cry in front of coworkers every time things get a little tough...

But in this day and age when every time you turn on the television, politicians are ripping one another apart, spraying their venom and people are reducing themselves to acting like wild animals with all of the senseless violence, crying with patients/coworkers has made me feel a certain sense of connection. It reassures me that I haven't allowed this world to harden me.

[tokidoki7, ASN, RN]

I cried when a patient died in his room all alone and none of his children were there with him. I also cried when a patient who frequently was admitted to my unit and who I had gotten close to slowly deteriorated and lay in her death bed.

[coffee4metech]

WOW this thread couldn't have been anymore perfect I just had a major crying session in my NM office today after a long shift and non -stop stress. Also a few weeks back I had a patient come in having major surgery the wife started to cry when her husband got wheeled back to OR I teared up.