You ever think that nurses could benefit from counseling?  We go through alot to say the least!!!  Ever have those days when in one room your prepping a body for the funeral home, the other room a patient is throwing themselves out of the bed, another patient...the infamous "pill seeker"  is screaming that its overdue for their breakthrough pain med, (and this is the patient on oxy 80mg for a broken toemail)...and your CNA's are fighting in the hall, the DON is asking about a care plan...and a family member is raising hell about the unsweetened tea on their loved ones tray.....aaaaargh!!!!  and we smile!!!  Do you ever leave work wanting to do a drive by, slap the cashier at the local wal-mart,, or get on a roof top with an ak47?  I think facilities and hospitals should pay for stress relief counseling or aromathreapy, or bring in a yoga instructor  at lunch.  Do ya'll agree?  I know the yoga thing is a bit much...but who is looking out for us?  God forbid we have a mini breakdown at work...then we are fired or drug tested!!

That is an excellent idea. Now, how do we convince the higher ups that this may benefit them? Actually, maybe you could segway that into a consulting business. I'm not joking. Can you tell I'm looking for a way to get off the floor? LOL!! Hey, if you need a partner, consider moi.

We can call it, Nurturing for nurses. I always say when I get totally burnt out in  nursing, I want to open up an esthetics/relaxation spa. Gear it to the nursing profession, that would be even better. Again, great idea.

Oh for pete's sake. If being a nurse is stressful enough to require counselling... Might I suggest a career as a Walmart greeter?

sanssugar says ...

alphamale, how long have you been a nurse or in healthcare?  I've been a nurse for a very long time, seen things, experienced things where I certainly could have used counseling, but none was immediately available.  This topic is about keeping yourself well, doesn't need snide, rude comments from another health care worker

Hmm.. let's see.. i have been one form of a nurse or another for about...30 years.... and I am actually in.. what is probably the most stressful subspeciality in nursing...

As for a snide remark?  You may take it however you wish.

Nursing as a whole has to lose the culture of victimhood. If the job is too stressful the most effective way to deal with it is to change careers.

Sure, stress debriefings are now avalable for all EMS in our area - but years ago our "stress debriefing" consisted of sitting together at the first aid building and "talking it out." Laughing, crying - just like the military - things were very informal years ago.

Haha! Yes indeed! I'm still in, but a JAG officer... we call ourselves "Chairborne Rangers."

For one thing I'm amazed at guys saying "I started boot camp, but didn't like it so I quit!"  Ha! In my day they would have just set you back a few companies - after a good butt kicking! Like you say... "A very different military!"

I personally would think that pediatric oncology is one of the most 'stressful' subspecialities in nursing.

Nursing is stressful no matter where you work. I've been a nurse 26 years. I've worked. Doctors offices, ER's, Open heart/transplant, ICU, Occ health.

Looking back, I can cite stressful situations in every one of those areas. Guess what? I'm a floater who works Observation, and I still have dyas where I want to pull my hair out. Last friday I came inches away from kicking an MD in the Balls. He had the nereve to suggest I "sat" on a pt 7 hrs that he cleared for D/C. guess where he wrote the "order"? His progress notes. Oh, I was pissed. That was the same day I had a cirrhosis/Hep C pos pt barf about 800cc's of blood from esophageal varicies...Real sitting.Oh, and the techs abusive boyfriend decided to use her as a punching bag prior to work, but she half ass worked for 4 hrs. Then she went home. So, while I wasn't sliding in blood barf coding my pt, I was being a tech and taking Glucoses and VS.

Nursing is stressful. Especially if you care. I can't help but care, I'm just wired that way. I took great offense when the Cardiologist made that remark. I gave him dagger eyes, and if the charge nurse and my manager weren't standing next to me, my little size six foot was ready to kick his nuts.

wow shows your ignorance re my job.....i follow orders from md's ...if i don't like the orders or the pt looks crappier than the doc thinks they look i call him and NO I don't do things on my own without orders......i am a nurse and may i ask what are you alphamale?????

Ok, I aint gonna lie. I just threw my nametag so hard across the room one day, my clip for it broke exposing the inner springs. This was about a month ago. My husband was giving me some kinda unecessary grief after a tough shift and I lost it. My limit had been reached.

What was funny , a co-worker had called me expressing her concern over my hediuos day, and my husband(who is clueless) threw a fit that I was talking and the phone and not placating him. Needless to say, my poor nametag clip payed the price.

I would say counseling wouldn't be a bad idea.

If we have a hard shift at work, we go out.  We have a pizza place, and an applebee's near the hospital.  Sometimes we just shoot in for an appetizer and a drink.  It feels good to de-stress together. 

I think that eventually all nurses have to have some sort of counseling in order to stay on top of their game and remain a kind/caring attentive nurse.  I don't mean that they all have to go to a "shrink" or something like that, but they will talk and release stress with other nurses, MDs, family, cleargy or even using an ave. such as this.   I believe there is nothing wrong with it, as long as we don't tell "names and tales" and it is actually healthy.

Good post and relevant, Margaretellen. I have never been offered such counseling and in 17 years in ER never really felt a permanent need for it personally. Voiced it with my cohorts as you stated. But I have seen others who were so affected by stuff we saw that I am sure they had lasting and negative effects from it.

Nothing about seeking counseling or comfort when needed signifies weakness and, in my opinion, shows quite the opposite.