TheLadyR

I work adult cardiac intensive care. I worked two years on a cardiovascular floor prior to moving. On the floor, I was fortunate enough to get critical patients addressed before it turned into a code. When I moved to the ICU, I experienced my first patient death. The family withdrew care. One week later, I ended up having a panic attack over a paper I was writing. I had no idea why I was experiencing anxiety; after all, it was just a small paper. It wasn't until I talked to my charge nurse that she addressed a debriefing. Afterwards, I realized that I had so many feelings towards my patient's death that I had never addressed. Debriefing, in my experience, is incredibly important and a necessity. We get close to our patients and protective of them- it's only natural to develop a bond. I hope that you find peace.