Healthcare worker Edition
Have you recently identified that your mind is mostly in overdrive, day and night? Does this leave you tired or irritated? Sometimes you explode at nothing at home. Some shifts you just don’t care, you shut down, just do the work.
The stacking effect of witnessing trauma
First responders and caring professions face the stacking effects of repeated traumatic, chaotic, nerve racking scenarios. Symptoms similar to the victims themselves can start developing.
First, let’s see if you can relate to some common stressors: tick if you have been there too.
An motor vehicle accident occurred, 2 casualties, one worse than the other, screaming in pain, fighting treatment as he does not trust the police present in the ER (they have stayed to help with safety due to his aggressive behavior). You stay back to complete documentation as this may end up in court or at the Coroner.
What if I said the word to you? “It’s QUIET”. Did you shudder, just a little bit?
Tonight everything fell apart, a patient coded, another had a fall, and you had to keep watch for the suicide attempt’s safety, but she managed to escape in the next ward. After you arrived home at 0800hrs, you stayed awake for hours, convinced you could have done so much more and still feeling high on adrenaline.
Can you recall the first time you did a forensic examination on a rape victim? The humiliation, the nausea in your own throat, the tears you wanted to cry?
A nurse and another staff member were repeatedly hit by a patient they were helping. This is an assault in the workplace and they had to give police formal statements. They felt guilty of pressing charges.
Your patient died today. You washed the body, zipped the bag, walked back into the ward to catch your breath. Only to find an indignant visitor complaining about their mother sitting in her soiled diaper, and it should have been done half an hour ago. Deep breath, you switched your feelings and thinking in an instant, carried on with the work. You cannot disclose what you were doing these last 20-30 minutes, like it did not even exist.
How many situations can you identify with? One, two, all six?
The Unspeakable vs the Release
Those moments are exactly that, undisclose-able. Unspeakable. Truly.
What to do next, as human beings dealing with this kind of unthinkable pressure?
Here are some starting points to acknowledge the trauma you have seen with your eyes, the heavy feelings they carried. You have the right to process those, and free your mind of the powerful imprint they have caused.
At home, write a work journal with no names, where you can express briefly an incident that marked you. Try to answer this: how did that make you feel? Angry, powerless, frustrated? Keep it short.
Sometimes a good team leader will see the need to de-brief after a particularly distressing episode; go to it and participate. You can also request a debrief with a colleague or manager. Let it out, you will get more clarity.
Find a release activity to do on your days off. A energetic sport, art, bush walking, dancing. Invite a colleague, it’s better together.
If you are experiencing heavy emotions that you find too hard to navigate alone, we encourage you to speak up and seek professional help. Your employer may be able to provide Employee Assistance, depending where you live in the world.
We would love to hear from your own experiences. Don’t be a stranger, comment below or send us a message.
If you require immediate help, call LifeLine 13 11 14 (Australia, 24/7).
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