Some nurses have PTSD symptoms

blondy2061h, MSN, RN · Apr 16, 2016

I stopped reading when they started talking about Magnet as a shining example of a solution :roflmao:

db2xs · Apr 16, 2016

I stopped reading when they started talking about Magnet as a shining example of a solution

Haha! Well, aside from that, it's good that someone out there is telling our story. The reality of the situation, that is.

Pangea Reunited, ASN, RN · Apr 16, 2016

That's a real "special snowflake" thing for the writer to point out. If I'm being honest, I find it irritating. Some nurses also gain weight, but they don't have CHF.

dishes, BSN, RN · Apr 16, 2016

The article describes nurses experiencing stressful working environments not post traumatic stress symptoms.

KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN · Apr 16, 2016

While the article really describes problems related mostly to work-related stress, my therapist says that 70% of his female clients are nurses. This guy specializes on treatment of work-related PTSD.

Trauma Columnist · Apr 16, 2016

Moved to Health and Stress Management

la_chica_suerte85, BSN, RN · Apr 18, 2016

I stopped reading when they started talking about Magnet as a shining example of a solution

:gingerly raises hand:

I'm not sure I understand the issue with Magnet accreditation.....? :sorry: Can someone enlighten me?

Editorial Team / Admin · Apr 18, 2016

:gingerly raises hand:
I'm not sure I understand the issue with Magnet accreditation.....? Can someone enlighten me?

It's essentially a paid marketing gimmick. Sure, the claims are that it's better nursing care, but in reality it's not always the case.

A Magnet hospital is stated to be one where nursing delivers excellent patient outcomes, where nurses have a high level of job satisfaction, and where there is a low staff nurse turnover rate and appropriate grievance resolution. Magnet status is also said to indicate nursing involvement in data collection and decision-making in patient care delivery. The idea is that Magnet nursing leaders value staff nurses, involve them in shaping research-based nursing practice, and encourage and reward them for advancing in nursing practice. Magnet hospitals are supposed to have open communication between nurses and other members of the health care team, and an appropriate personnel mix to attain the best patient outcomes and staff work environment.
Read more: Magnet status: What it is, what it is not, and what it could be

dec2007 · Apr 18, 2016

I think it is very important to differentiate between true PTSD and stress, grief, anxiety, or other conditions. As the mother of a sailor who was in the bombing on the USS Cole in the Gulf of Aden in 2000, I have difficulty when any stressful or grief-related situation is automatically categorized as PTSD. Trauma is being attacked, being raped, being exposed to the horrors of a tsunami, enduring a terrible auto accident, perhaps even witnessing a violent event. It has many, many origins, but it is not the same as stress or grief. It is not the same as nurse burnout, or anxiety from working in a chronically stressful unit. It is not something one develops, as I was told by a co-worker, "when I lost my grandma...we were really close!" It is a disservice to sufferers of each of those specific conditions to classify everything under the catch-phrase PTSD as we see commonly done now. Just food for thought.

morte, LPN, LVN · Apr 18, 2016

I think it is very important to differentiate between true PTSD and stress, grief, anxiety, or other conditions. As the mother of a sailor who was in the bombing on the USS Cole in the Gulf of Aden in 2000, I have difficulty when any stressful or grief-related situation is automatically categorized as PTSD. Trauma is being attacked, being raped, being exposed to the horrors of a tsunami, enduring a terrible auto accident, perhaps even witnessing a violent event. It has many, many origins, but it is not the same as stress or grief. It is not the same as nurse burnout, or anxiety from working in a chronically stressful unit. It is not something one develops, as I was told by a co-worker, "when I lost my grandma...we were really close!" It is a disservice to sufferers of each of those specific conditions to classify everything under the catch-phrase PTSD as we see commonly done now. Just food for thought.

i think it is a matter of degree, rather than being totally different. and the preparation that any one person has for life. We need experience in loss and pain in small doses as we grow, otherwise we have no coping skills when the bigger ones come, as they inevitably do.

CountryMomma, ASN, RN · Apr 18, 2016

I think it is very important to differentiate between true PTSD and stress, grief, anxiety, or other conditions. As the mother of a sailor who was in the bombing on the USS Cole in the Gulf of Aden in 2000, I have difficulty when any stressful or grief-related situation is automatically categorized as PTSD. Trauma is being attacked, being raped, being exposed to the horrors of a tsunami, enduring a terrible auto accident, perhaps even witnessing a violent event. It has many, many origins, but it is not the same as stress or grief. It is not the same as nurse burnout, or anxiety from working in a chronically stressful unit. It is not something one develops, as I was told by a co-worker, "when I lost my grandma...we were really close!" It is a disservice to sufferers of each of those specific conditions to classify everything under the catch-phrase PTSD as we see commonly done.

The prevalence and impact of post traumatic stress disorder and burnout syndrome in nurses. - PubMed - NCBI

This study differentiates between PTSD, Burned Out Syndrome, and plain stress. Nurses, especially those in high- acuity high pressure units, are at high risk for both. Part of the reason is a repeated exposure to a strong negative stimulus - forced and futile end of life cares, traumatic and abrupt deaths, lateral violence- all in a pressure cooker of a profession that offers very little resilience training, coping assistance, or stress management techniques. Mental health days are not recognized, many workplaces do not debrief, and afflicted nurses are booted out and replaced with cheaper, idealistic, newer versions.

Also, PTSD is not reserved for sevicemembers only. The DSM has specific criteria for diagnosis, and a surprisingly notable population of nurses meet the criteria.

Finally, many of those come into nursing because of their specific personality type - caregiver, selfless martyr, angel of mercy etc. This may also predispose them to PTSD.