Is Anyone A Highly Sensitive Nurse?

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If so how was your experience?

Well, that explains a lot. I had to get out of ICU because I couldn't handle the noise and the sudden intense situations.

Some idiot went out the fire escape door and I had to leave the unit until security came and shut off the alarm.

I cry a lot when I hear moving music or see something sad on TV. I have to leave the room if a character in a show is embarrassing themselves because I can't handle it.

If there is too much going on around me, I freeze up and have to go somewhere else and calm down so I can think. I have developed a kind of tunnel vision, but it's not possible for me to do all the time.

I "hibernate" a lot. The people I work with are always wondering why I won't pick up shifts. It takes me the rest of the week to recover from my scheduled three.

None of my clothes have tags. I always wear socks and shoes because I don't like the feel of dirt under my feet and I can't stand the slimy feel of sweaty shoes. I can't stand it when I have a stray hair or something tickling my skin and I look really stupid picking at myself until I figure out the problem.

I have a hard time at the beach because of sand, so I stay in the water with my feet up. I'm lucky I haven't been eaten by a shark.

I hate it when my husband watches TV because he's HOH and it's sooo loud.

I wear earplugs and an eye mask to sleep in during the day because I can't sleep with the light and every noise wakes me up. I like silence.

I was shy as a child. My entire family said something about me becoming a nurse, wondering if I could handle it. One of my aunts said to me that I would be great as long as I was able to "keep it together."

I do notice trends and people going down the drain earlier than most. Unfortunately, the docs rarely believe me because I catch the subtle signs before it becomes obvious. I always call with, "Hey, so and so is starting to look bad. Here's the sitch - " and they always answer with "OK, keep monitoring them." Then, next shift, I find out the patient was kicked up to another level of care. I've never had one of my patients code, knock on wood, because I catch them before the Rapid Response stage.

I can usually figure out what's wrong with a psych or nonverbal patient and help them get more comfortable. The people on my unit are always futzing with the thermostat and the lights and I have to go behind them and fix things.

It's amazing to me that HSP is a thing. I just thought it was me.

Do any of you other sensitives have some of the same problems?

Some of the things you described are exactly my experience, I am highly sensitive to a loose hair falling on my arm and the need to pick to get it off. I am hyper aware of other people's needs or things that "might" happen. I was actually diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder because I worry about everyone and everything. I over analyze everything, and I feel dismissed when I voice my concerns or thoughts. I am a nursing student and was told by a nurse during clinical that I was too paranoid because I was asking her too many questions about medication administration. I find this entire conversation fascinating and wonder if there is a connection to anxiety and HSP?

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Specializes in Home Health.

Oh boy! I developed anxiety, stress and depression after nursing burnt me out last year. After nursing school, I paid for a Perioperative Nursing Certification because I thought I loved the rotation during clinical. WRONG! I opted for a position in Home Health as a visiting nurse. I liked it initially, but was made a Case Manager which was way too over stimulating for me as an HSP. I had a nervous breakdown & took a 2 month turned 4 month LOA from work. Went back FT and 4 weeks later, I was going Per Diem. I can't believe I spent all that time becoming a nurse and 5 years into my nursing career I was over it. As it can be debilitating, I've spent the last year learning myself, practicing self care and really embracing my sensitivities as a HSP, empath, ect. I became certified as a spiritual life coach and started a business coaching and mentoring girls and women.

I wouldn't wish my experience over the last year on anybody. I definitely let my ego win at the time. Now I'm all intuition baby!

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Specializes in Home Health.

Shy? PSTD? Lol. You're clearly NOT an HSP and ARE a burned out nurse. Hope you helped yourself and gracefully bowed out by now.

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Specializes in Home Health.
I don't think this profession is a great fit for most people! Give me a break! Constant alarms, short staffing, chaos, multiple interruptions and insane lift requirements etc are the norm of bedside nursing. 12 Hr shifts allow the hospitals to get someone to do 4 hours of overtime without overtime pay. It is not a good thing, I really don't know how moms do it!

HSP is a synonym or way to label a shy person and or someone with PTSD if you ask me.

There is no concern about the nurses in the hospital environment. Stupid articles about the dangers of alarm fatigue, but then the hospital turns around and adds even more alarms, one was even added to the break room so you couldn't get away from it even on your break! But you can bet if a critical alarm is missed the nurse will be hung out to dry. We should be looking into less alarms not more! The alarms stress out both the nurses and the patients and are even known to cause HTN. I think there should be a redesign of the hospital environment that is more humane to everyone patients and staff!

Shy? PSTD? Lol. You're clearly NOT an HSP and ARE a burned out nurse. Hope you helped yourself and gracefully bowed out by now.

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