OCD Nurse

[moskito1977]

Anybody else struggle with OCD? I have heard that it is good for a nurse to have OCD, I disagree. I am going crazy. I am an OR nurse and had VRE patient yesterday. Doctors and staff were in and out of the room, touching equipment, touching the patient, touching the chart, etc. People in and out of the room not washing hands. I am only one person and can't control the entire environment, the people in it and take care of the patient. I don't know if I just need to trust other staff and physicians that they take appropriate measures to not spread the disease. Unfortunately, with my OCD I don't trust them, I have seen plenty physicians not wash their hands with contact precautions.

I couldn't sleep last night and called the hospital atleast 6 times today to make sure something was cleaned. I am blessed to work with people that just laugh at my obsessiveness, but I am going crazy and I am so exhausted from my brain. Almost everyday I come home with something to obsess about, then I tend to make it much worse in my head.

The worst part is... I can't tell what is real and what is an obsession...

Thoughts?

[ArtClassRN, ADN, RN]

I couldn't sleep last night and called the hospital atleast 6 times today to make sure something was cleaned.

Thoughts?

Your concerns are real, but calling the hospital 6 times to make sure something is clean sounds like a cry for help. I'm sure this thread will get TOS'd in 5, 4, 3, 2....

[pixiestudent2]

Are you seeing a therapist? This is not normal. I really hope you can seek some help....

[SwansonRN]

I could give a squawk about germs to be honest, but I do have other work related obsessive thoughts. I'm too embarrassed to elaborate because I know they're irrational and disordered, but yet they keep me up all night. I can't give you advice, but I might understand a little of what you're going through

[CWONgal]

Time to go see someone for some help. There is no way to get away from germs and people who don't follow hand hygiene and precautions. OCD can be expressed in different ways. I worked w/ a gal who was OCD about cleaning/organization and she was a great asset at work...she helped to keep people on track and make sure things were done appropriately.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

I am sorry that you feel that your OCD is disrupting your life right now... & I know it's probably not much consolation, but if I was a surgical patient, you are EXACTLY the nurse I would want to look after me; keeping me safe, never compromising & never cutting corners. I hope you can get to a place where work does not spill into your personal life, but please, don't feel bad about obsessing when it comes to patient care.