I worked overnight in the ICU. (warning:sensitive content)

When my shift ended a patient suddenly became restless. She had fluid in her lungs. Sadly we can't do anything about it because her kidneys don't work. I was extremely exhausted. The morning doctor had taken over already so I left the rest to her and went back home to nap before going back to work. After 2 hours of sleeping, I woke up with the memory of the restless patient, trying to catch her breath. It suddenly made me short of breath myself, suddenly I was gasping for air. Had a panic attack. Quickly took a medicine to subside it. But damn. ICU is so stressful. It is affecting me in ways I didn't know I was even sensitive to.

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CheekyBadger · M

I know it is hard but you have to be able to separate your professional life from your personal as otherwise you will be overwhelmed. Know that you are part of a team and responsibility doesn't rest on you alone. You may also have access to support from work that might help.

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CheekyBadger · M

@DeluxedEdition I know, it's hard. My mother used to be a nurse and I know these situations are not infrequent. She must have found a way to detach from it emotionally as she could talk about it, but in a a professional way. I assume that after a while you develop a strategy to deal with it.

DeluxedEdition · 26-30, F

@CheekyBadger

I assume that after a while you develop a strategy to deal with it.

I vent. To my family or sw or coworkers so that I do not internalize it. The most difficult part of my career so far has been observing the corruption by corporate as a result of their coronavirus pandemic. And not being able to do anything about it or when I tried to tell people they didn’t believe me and assumed it was a political narrative

CheekyBadger · M

@DeluxedEdition talking is good thing. I have many criticisms of the way the pandemic was handled (or is being handled) if I get started on it I tend to upset people 🤣 - that is politics though. It doesn't change the impact that the actions taken had on the people trying to do their jobs.

DeluxedEdition · 26-30, F

I have some friends who say they know people who worked in icu and it changed their personality

SW-User

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