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([Nurse burnout in hallway], 2024)
Created By: Ansley Haan, RN
Created By: Ansley Haan, RN
Introduction
Introduction
Nursing is a demanding and rewarding profession, but comes with many unique challenges. Nurses witness traumatic events, navigate high-pressure situations, and often face experiences that can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The struggle, sometimes invisible to many, affects not only the mental health of nurses, but also the quality of care they provide for their patients.
Addressing PTSD in nursing is crucial for creating a healthier, more sustainable healthcare environment. By understanding why it occurs, recognizing its impact, and implementing effective support systems, we can help nurses heal, thrive, and continue to deliver exceptional care.
The purpose of this website is to explore the definition of PTSD, how PTSD shows up in different nursing areas, general and psychological symptoms of PTSD, nursing interventions, common nursing theory, and policy and leadership suggestions to help increase resilience among nursing staff with PTSD. In addition, you will find a case study about Angelina to give context for how PTSD shows up in nursing. Lastly, if you are a nurse struggling with PTSD, know that you are not alone. There is help.
([Struggling below water a hand reaching out for help], 2021).
([Nurse coping on a window], 2021).
Case Study: Angelina, RN
Case Study: Angelina, RN
Angelina is a 30-year-old nurse who has worked in the ICU of a local hospital for the past six years. Due to the nature of her work, she has been exposed to many traumatic events that include managing critically ill patients, demanding families, and the sudden loss of patients despite her care. Recently she has been showing symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and her colleagues have become worried about her.
Her physical symptoms include; headaches, tiredness despite adequate sleep, and jaw clenching. Emotionally she is experiencing withdrawal from co-workers, bursts of anger, and a change in eating habits. She reports that she does not want to come to work and sometimes vomits on her way to the hospital to report for her shift.
References
[Nurse burnout in hallway]. (2024). [Image]. Retrieved February 1, 2025. NursingEducation. https://nursingeducation.org/insights/new-nurse-stress-management/.
[Nurse coping on a window]. (2021). [Image]. Retrieved February 1, 2025. Bridges To Recovery. https://www.bridgestorecovery.com/blog/navigating-ptsd-and-burnout-for-covid-19-healthcare-workers/.
[Struggling below water a hand reaching out for help]. (2021). [Image]. Retrieved February 1, 2025. Adventist World. https://www.adventistworld.org/the-invisible-struggle/.
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