I have Been an ICU nurse for almost 8 years. I work mostly the night shift I’ve been in several hospitals and I’ve seen a lot over the years feel free to ask me anything about the good the bad the ugly and the happy let it rip.
Recently had surgery and was in ICU after. I woke up at 4am after going in at 7am the day before, with a breathing tube in and couldn’t talk (obvs). I wasn’t prepared for how bad it was going to be when I woke up but the ICU nurse was a friggin angel, calmed me down and once the breathing tube was removed we had such lovely chats. She kept me sane and occupied and I don’t know if I would have got through the first few days without her. So from a random stranger, just want to say thank you for the work you do. I hope in some small way you understand the impact you have on patients just by being there!
I often give pre op teaching to scheduled open heart patients. They will arrive at the hospital and wake up 10+ hours later on the ventilator in an ICU I always tell them waking up and getting the tube out is the worst part. I do what I can to get people through it but sometimes they’re still too anxious and require medication. I hope I never have to go through that.
I’ve seen lots of weird stuff. One that stands out to me is a woman we couldn’t discharge from the hospital as she just had open heart surgery and was homeless. Social work discovered she had a few million dollars in liquid cash in her bank accounts. Plenty enough to buy a very nice home in my area. Social work tried to set her up with an apartment and even help her just buy a humble little place cash and she refused she said she likes being homeless she likes her “freedom” and eventually left against medical advice and went to live where I can only assume is under a bridge or something.
Can you go back in the records, reach out to her, and on my behalf ask her is she wants to donate that lump sum directly to my bank account? I mean if she ain't gonna use it I sure as fuck could.
Have you seen any shady or illegal things done by other nurses? I hear a lot about nurses stealing pain meds, is that a huge thing?
In your experience do nurses/doctors discriminate against certain races or certain types of people and treat them differently?
How has working in the ICU changed your view of life?
It’s Not a HUGE thing to steal drugs mainly because it’s so hard too I have to quite literally use my fingerprint to get out meds count the controlled substances and if there is a discrepancy pharmacy is immediately notified and all this while on video. If u steal drugs u will get caught there’s just to much evidence but I’ve definitely seen it happen. I wouldn’t say I’ve seen nurses or doctors be discriminatory to certain races but definitely I’ve seen substance abuse and mentalhealth patients get labeled and treated poorly. Working in the icu has made me realize my own mortality. I’ve seen so many people have there life snatched away seemingly out of nowhere and I’ve always realized that saving a life isn’t the same as saving a human being
I’ve saved a ton of people. Technically speaking a pulse is alive. I’ve restored pulses on tons of people but very few people make it with any quality of life left they usually have brain damage and it just leaves me to question why save them if this is the situation I’m putting them in
I’ve experienced the discrimination ever since I suffered a brain injury. There’s a complete 180 change in how both doctors and nurses treat me since my brain injury. I’ve lost all respect for both professionals. I’m also very blunt with my children, that there are no healthcare workers with morals or integrity.
I had terrible doctors after my brain injury. The first laughed at me on how I injured myself and it just went downhill from there.
I went 5.5 years with an undiagnosed frontal lobe contusion and frontal lobe syndrome. I always knew my injury was very bad but I couldn’t find anyone who believed what I said.
Ive filed my second civil rights complaint with a hospital because of the flat out horrible discrimination I have experienced. I have an investigation ongoing against of the “best” hospitals in the world.
I just think the medical community is terrible. I never got an opportunity to ever get help, despite my begging for help after my brain injury. I was messaging my neurologist 4 months out, telling him I was getting worst. Nothing. No help ever.
I just don’t understand how you can live with yourselves. The extreme level of cruelty for people who are sick.
And then nurses have the audacity to think that someone like me, who used to hold your profession in high regard, think that there is something wrong with me because I don’t like nurses.
The level of evilness in the medical community for those of us who are sick. My medicine will be a bullet if I ever get sick. Worlds better than ever seeing the face of another nurse or doctor ever again. I know exactly what will happen if I do. I’ll be laughed at and miss treated. The very last time I ever lay eyes on a nurse was the time one laughed in my face because I couldn’t remember the name of my job. Because of my brain injury. I have nothing but raging hatred for both doctors and nurses.
You have no idea how you peers have made my life unlivable. With ignoring all of the extremely obvious signs that my brain injury was a brain bleed on my frontal lobe, not a concussion. Then nasty notes after I got upset with a neurologist when my brain bleed was still healing, who was shaming me about my birth injury. I went off on him and now have some sort of evil comments in my medical records.
You people have no ethics. Zero compassion. You just bet the sh-t out of good people in hopes they take their own life. That’s the game plan with every single doctor and nurse in Cleveland. I hate them all equally. They are all are such terrible people.
Healthcare workers are the worst people on earth. I wish I had never met a single one of them. I got no help and only abuse.
So since you're blunt I imagine you can handle blunt speech – nothing in your life is going to change until you do.
Your experience is valid I wanna say that first and foremost and I'm very sorry that you experienced a negative outcome. Life unfortunately though can include multiple negative outcomes – how you navigate those outcomes is the determination of quality of life in part… And I want to emphasize the in part component to say with certainty anyone struggling and suffering with a long-term chronic debilitating condition certainly would have way more challenge I have quality of life and just "being positive" vs somebody who doesn't.
It is estimated it up to 30% of brain injury survivors have clinical depression. Have you considered that you may be struggling with this?
You seem to be perseverating and in a negativistic black-and-white loop.
Again – I'm not dismissing that you had a terrible experience and that you're probably still experiencing terrible symptoms – the question becomes what can you do or what have you done?
Are you actively in therapy? Are you taking medication's under the supervision of a psychiatrist?
The sad part about brain injury is that it leaves people with decreased insight into their own deficits and at times it can also mean that they are self limiting and self-destructive… Have you considered that potentially being the case for yourself?
I cannot emphasize the enough like I said many times already your experience is valid and your feelings are valid but to the extent at which you have expressed them it seems that it is very pervasive in your life-my goal is to help illuminate a perspective from a different light and hopefully offer you options for action
For example healthcare professionals and brain injury survivors can be some of the toughest patients because they are resistant to treatment… Are you familiar with that term resistant to treatment?
Because they are so familiar with the system and they've been in the system in and out because of their work or because of their diagnosis they think they know everything and they've seen it all when in fact they haven't.
At this point in my career nothing too overly exciting but allowing super sick people to die on there terms while keeping them comfortable and preserving there dignity is something I wil always stand by as a great achievement
It is such a beautiful and admirable thing to do. I am very thankful there are people like you in the world. Thank you for everything you do. It is one of the most important tasks in the world.
I was in the ICU 9 days with adrenal crisis. Altered significantly for much of that time and apparently I was kind of a dick to the nurses. I remember nothing for six of those days, the intubation, catheter, ct scans, mris, ambulance rides, LP, none of it. But I’m told I was not very friendly and that upsets me. Is this common and what should I bring the unit to show my appreciation and apologize?
If u really feel bad about it send a card to the unit and apologize if nothing else it will make you feel better about it but I promise you the medical staff has long forgotten about it. Someone with a medical reason causing them to be an asshole is no sweat off our back we don’t pay it any mind it’s why we’re here. However those peoooe that are assholes just got the sport of it can kick rocks. It doesn’t sound like you were that guy. U were sick and not urself try and not let it bother u if u can
I knew an ICU nurse. And listened in on lots of stories from her. I appreciate your work. How many patients do they have you working on at once? What was your favourite patient? (don't say unconscious). I have a fried who is trying to get better in the hospital right now.
Favorites are always the ones I meet at the brink of death and they leave under their own power. I take a particular liking to cardiogenic shock cases. How many at once? 1-3. 1 if they’re super sick 2 for run of the mill icu stuff and 3 for people that are doing well waiting to transfer out or go home
Id literally trust them with my life and they trust me with there licenses. I’m fortunate to work with a stellar team of doctors I realize not everyone is as lucky as I am but I love my doctors they’re so skilled and professional and I feel they take care of us. They’re always buying us lunches and sticking up for us any chance they get. We’ve laughed cried and been through the wringer together.
If someone has had heart attack and asystole and put on comfort measures and appears to be totally unconscious, but then when they pulled out the breathing tube he appeared to be choking and gagging on the breathing tube, can that just be a brain stem reaction?
Asystole means dead. No heart beat dead. Flatline. If u are asystole u are receiving CPR or going in a body bag no two ways about it. I’m not 100% sure what ur asking. Isolated brainstem function is usually complete loss of protective reflexes and respiratory drive. U aren’t doing anything except maybe having a seizure. Nothing purposeful at all. U wouldn’t be able to pullout a breathing tube nor would u have a cough or gag reflex
Worst excuse is “I fell on it” everyone falls on it. It’s an excuse as old and tired as “the dog ate my homework” the BEST excuse I’ve ever heard is “I was masturbating” just own it we do not care just be truthful why lie we all know how it got there
I’ve never seen a live animal up there but my god I’ve seen just about everything else. Although just because I’ve never seen it doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. Electrical wires up the male urethra has to be the worst thing I’ve seen inserted into the human body.
Seen? I can’t say I’ve seen it with my own eyes but a nurse did come running out of our “haunted room” flushed and freaking out saying she just felt an overwhelming need to get out of there and about 2 minutes later I heard my name whispered in my ear directly over my shoulder and there was no one there to do so. Edited for typo.
Gotta say I myself am an ER and ICU nurse, and while I don't believe in ghosts, there were a couple rooms on both units that always made me SUPER uneasy and I avoided them .... and I thought I was crazy until coworkers said the same.
Comparing to your first year, how often do you (and did you) cry when your patients died? Were/are there certain circumstances that are more likely to make you cry? Do you feel like you’ve had to numb yourself emotionally to be able to continue this work?
Side note: much appreciation for your work!
First year was traumatic af although I never cried I’m just not a crier I’m not some macho tough guy I just don’t express emotion via tears I usually just get angry and have to blow off steam. The Covid years were absolutely rough we lost so many people well before it was there time. I wouldn’t say I’ve numbed myself emotionally I’m still me I still feel but I also realize at work I’m there to do a job the only thing that’s really changed over the years is I now know I can’t save everyone I can do everything 100% right and sometimes people still die it’s just the way it is and that was a hard pill to swallow
Have you dealt with many patients with severe anxiety over needles/IVs/procedures etc? I’m one of those people and being hospitalized is one of my biggest fears.
Of course! All the time. I just try and do my best to put the patient in charge. They decide when and where I poke. Most of the time the fear isn’t over pain it’s over control giving them control even a small amount can do a lot for them. If all else fails I just won’t do whatever procedure it is. I can’t force them they have rights and I find reminding them of that too can help
It definitely isn’t a pain thing for me. I have 30+ tattoos. It isn’t needles its shots and whatnot for me., so the control thing makes sense. I put off many medical exams and such due to it. Thanks for all that you do.
How do you cope when something leaves you haunted or feeling traumatized and you can't "leave it at work"? Therapy? Talking with the other nurses? Just trying to ignore it? A stiff drink after your shift?
Therapy for the ones I truly can’t shake I’ve got some people situations and images burned into my brain for sure and it has helped. I can’t ignore it. I can’t ignore something traumatic when I come back to the exact spot the event happened multiple times a week it’s hard to be at work on Christmas and try and ignore that terrible thing that happened to some little girls dad 10feet up the hall from u. Medication and therapy has helped the most
I have never had a NDE personally thank god. I have noticed with the super elderly tho I’m talking 85+ years old they can almost “call” there death. I’ve seen them hold on until family from out of town gets there. I had a lady who was doing okay all things considered and I told her bye at the end of my shift and that I’d be back tmr she replied “I won’t I’m gonna pass away” and she sure enough did I was shocked cause she really was on the up and up. I’ve also had real sick patients tell me they family in there room and that’s when we all know we need to step up and get to work or we’re gonna lose them
Thanks for doing this. My question isn't specifically for icu but I figured I'd ask anyway.
I had a hysterectomy last year and when I was in recovery just coming out of anesthesia they hadn't put any pain medicine in me yet. I came to consciousness and started almost screaming/moaning from the insane pain. I was begging the nurse to give me something. She became angry at me saying, "hollering about it won't make me give you anything any faster. You're on the list."
It was at least 5 mins before she gave me anything in my IV.
Was I the asshole there? I've experienced some serious pain and that was a 10/10.
Was I out of line? Why would she have been so mean to me about it? Would any nurse have had that attitude? What am I missing do you think?
There behavior was inexcusable. I’m sure they had 9000 other things going on but still there behavior is inexcusable. U were not in the wrong. U should have been premedicated prior to waking up anyway. The nurse dropped the ball there too.
My wife had brain surgery a couple of years back, 2021. Neurologist ICU nurses were amazing as well as post op. My hats off to all of you for the job you do.
Alcohol is so bad for you. Right up there with if not worse than smoking. Moderation is okay a beer here and there won’t kill u but if it’s a daily thing id consider cutting back. Smoking the damage is more immediate the relief of quitting is also more immediate. Alcohol is sneaky the damage is compounded over time and isn’t nearly as reversible.
Sometimes it’s obvious and sometimes u don’t know until the patient wakes up. For the obvious ones they usually slouch to one side there bp rises and there breathing gets very irregular on the ventilator it’s pretty easy to see if u know what ur looking at but the less obvious strokes are impossible to see until the patient is awake
What tips do you have for those wanting to go into ICU? I’m in my final year of nursing school and I’m currently an employed student nurse in a high acuity unit
Get after it. Dive right in remain humble learn what u can and go get it. If that’s truly what u want do it don’t let anyone stop u and enjoy you earned it.
No hate for my ER friends. ❤️ one thing that annoys me about the ED is when you don’t bring them to us. Once u get a bed bring them to us. We know the patients a mess that’s why they’re coming to us let us do our thing bring them to us asap. I can’t stand when the patient sits down there for too long especially for simple stuff like “I waited cause I wanted to get that foley for u” yeah thanks man I appreciate it but I woulda rather had the patient 15 minutes earlier and done it myself. Seriously just bring them up don’t wait on the central line or foley or labs to come back. It often comes from a good place on the ERs part but please don’t wait. U guys are awesome and I love u but u aren’t set up for super sick patients the same way we are
Ha. I’ll keep that in mind. I’m definitely guilty of doing this; pull that trop, run that urine, etc. But I feel like I owed it to our ICU. My first few patients always had some freak thing happen that made me look like an idiot: accidentally pulled an IV transferring a patient, accidentally pulled open patients foley bag getting urine all over the floor. I feel like I was definitely talked about after I left the unit.
My first few months I was a nervous wreck thinking that we had to get someone to the ICU asap. Now I’ve just had to embrace the idea that I’m also an ICU nurse sometimes. It’s usually not a big deal….
The only time I’m “sitting” on someone is if it’s a post-code and the patient literally wouldn’t survive the short trip up to ICU.
The worst is having a tubed patient on loads of pressors…then they add that extra CT Scan they want you to grab on your way to ICU.
USA. Nursing is special to me because I feel like it’s one of few jobs where I can actually make a difference to someone every single day. It’s so sad that some people spend there life in a cubicle and never get to make a real difference other than making a CEO rich
If it’s negatively effecting the patient I just kick them out. Bye see ya later. This is a healing environment and I have no time for aunt Janice and her bullshit and neither does my patient.
Pick one of my own to fail? Probably kidney. I can live a fairly normal life as a dialysis patient with strict compliance and lifestyle modification. I may even be able to ride it out and get a transplant.
One of my family members was recently in the ICU for almost a month. Most of the staff was truly exceptional. Thank you for everything you do and I appreciated the tough love people like you showed. I don't know how to thank the people who saved him but man, I will forever hold them in my heart even though I don't know their names or even some of their faces.
How do you decompress after working your shift? I know it's extra emotional as a family member, but it still must be hard for you.
At this point in my career I have good emotional separation so I don’t need to decompress to much. However my day off routine is catching up on sleep first day off I always sleep in as late as I want. Do something I want to do after doing so much for other it’s important to re fill your own cup that can be as simple as having a meal I’ve been craving for dinner or something more like a trip to a few days the important thing is just give back to yourself. Therapy for the cases I can’t shake off and overall remembering it’s just a job a very important and unique job but overall just a job.
Good for you. I'm glad you are able to fill your own cup and take care of yourself during hard times. To me, the ICU seemed like this weird nightmare where time wasn't real and everything and nothing was happening all at once. I was wondering if it was similar for the nurses and how anyone could go from being in charge of life or death decisions to regular life. I'm glad to hear you've found a rhythm.
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Recently had surgery and was in ICU after. I woke up at 4am after going in at 7am the day before, with a breathing tube in and couldn’t talk (obvs). I wasn’t prepared for how bad it was going to be when I woke up but the ICU nurse was a friggin angel, calmed me down and once the breathing tube was removed we had such lovely chats. She kept me sane and occupied and I don’t know if I would have got through the first few days without her. So from a random stranger, just want to say thank you for the work you do. I hope in some small way you understand the impact you have on patients just by being there!
I often give pre op teaching to scheduled open heart patients. They will arrive at the hospital and wake up 10+ hours later on the ventilator in an ICU I always tell them waking up and getting the tube out is the worst part. I do what I can to get people through it but sometimes they’re still too anxious and require medication. I hope I never have to go through that.
I’ve seen lots of weird stuff. One that stands out to me is a woman we couldn’t discharge from the hospital as she just had open heart surgery and was homeless. Social work discovered she had a few million dollars in liquid cash in her bank accounts. Plenty enough to buy a very nice home in my area. Social work tried to set her up with an apartment and even help her just buy a humble little place cash and she refused she said she likes being homeless she likes her “freedom” and eventually left against medical advice and went to live where I can only assume is under a bridge or something.
At this point in my career nothing too overly exciting but allowing super sick people to die on there terms while keeping them comfortable and preserving there dignity is something I wil always stand by as a great achievement
I knew an ICU nurse. And listened in on lots of stories from her. I appreciate your work. How many patients do they have you working on at once? What was your favourite patient? (don't say unconscious). I have a fried who is trying to get better in the hospital right now.
Favorites are always the ones I meet at the brink of death and they leave under their own power. I take a particular liking to cardiogenic shock cases. How many at once? 1-3. 1 if they’re super sick 2 for run of the mill icu stuff and 3 for people that are doing well waiting to transfer out or go home
How would you characterize your relationship with the mds?
Id literally trust them with my life and they trust me with there licenses. I’m fortunate to work with a stellar team of doctors I realize not everyone is as lucky as I am but I love my doctors they’re so skilled and professional and I feel they take care of us. They’re always buying us lunches and sticking up for us any chance they get. We’ve laughed cried and been through the wringer together.
Have you seen any shady or illegal things done by other nurses? I hear a lot about nurses stealing pain meds, is that a huge thing? In your experience do nurses/doctors discriminate against certain races or certain types of people and treat them differently? How has working in the ICU changed your view of life?
It’s Not a HUGE thing to steal drugs mainly because it’s so hard too I have to quite literally use my fingerprint to get out meds count the controlled substances and if there is a discrepancy pharmacy is immediately notified and all this while on video. If u steal drugs u will get caught there’s just to much evidence but I’ve definitely seen it happen. I wouldn’t say I’ve seen nurses or doctors be discriminatory to certain races but definitely I’ve seen substance abuse and mentalhealth patients get labeled and treated poorly. Working in the icu has made me realize my own mortality. I’ve seen so many people have there life snatched away seemingly out of nowhere and I’ve always realized that saving a life isn’t the same as saving a human being
I was in the ICU 9 days with adrenal crisis. Altered significantly for much of that time and apparently I was kind of a dick to the nurses. I remember nothing for six of those days, the intubation, catheter, ct scans, mris, ambulance rides, LP, none of it. But I’m told I was not very friendly and that upsets me. Is this common and what should I bring the unit to show my appreciation and apologize?
If u really feel bad about it send a card to the unit and apologize if nothing else it will make you feel better about it but I promise you the medical staff has long forgotten about it. Someone with a medical reason causing them to be an asshole is no sweat off our back we don’t pay it any mind it’s why we’re here. However those peoooe that are assholes just got the sport of it can kick rocks. It doesn’t sound like you were that guy. U were sick and not urself try and not let it bother u if u can
If someone has had heart attack and asystole and put on comfort measures and appears to be totally unconscious, but then when they pulled out the breathing tube he appeared to be choking and gagging on the breathing tube, can that just be a brain stem reaction?
Asystole means dead. No heart beat dead. Flatline. If u are asystole u are receiving CPR or going in a body bag no two ways about it. I’m not 100% sure what ur asking. Isolated brainstem function is usually complete loss of protective reflexes and respiratory drive. U aren’t doing anything except maybe having a seizure. Nothing purposeful at all. U wouldn’t be able to pullout a breathing tube nor would u have a cough or gag reflex
Seen? I can’t say I’ve seen it with my own eyes but a nurse did come running out of our “haunted room” flushed and freaking out saying she just felt an overwhelming need to get out of there and about 2 minutes later I heard my name whispered in my ear directly over my shoulder and there was no one there to do so. Edited for typo.
Does “gerbilling actually happen or is it an “urban myth ?”
I’ve never seen a live animal up there but my god I’ve seen just about everything else. Although just because I’ve never seen it doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. Electrical wires up the male urethra has to be the worst thing I’ve seen inserted into the human body.
What are the best/worst things/excuses you’ve had from patients for why things ended up inside them?
Worst excuse is “I fell on it” everyone falls on it. It’s an excuse as old and tired as “the dog ate my homework” the BEST excuse I’ve ever heard is “I was masturbating” just own it we do not care just be truthful why lie we all know how it got there
Comparing to your first year, how often do you (and did you) cry when your patients died? Were/are there certain circumstances that are more likely to make you cry? Do you feel like you’ve had to numb yourself emotionally to be able to continue this work? Side note: much appreciation for your work!
First year was traumatic af although I never cried I’m just not a crier I’m not some macho tough guy I just don’t express emotion via tears I usually just get angry and have to blow off steam. The Covid years were absolutely rough we lost so many people well before it was there time. I wouldn’t say I’ve numbed myself emotionally I’m still me I still feel but I also realize at work I’m there to do a job the only thing that’s really changed over the years is I now know I can’t save everyone I can do everything 100% right and sometimes people still die it’s just the way it is and that was a hard pill to swallow
My wife had brain surgery a couple of years back, 2021. Neurologist ICU nurses were amazing as well as post op. My hats off to all of you for the job you do.
Hope ur wife is well. Neuro is one thing my unit doesn’t get a ton of which I’m glad about cause neuro is scary 😂
No question, just wanted to say thank you for doing what you do. Nurses are so important and have been so amazing in my experiences with them. Y'all are very special people! God bless you!
When the shots were coming out it was reported that it modifies ones DNA and hasn't been tested . We said "oh hell no", not going get the shot. My brother got the J&J (pulled from the market) then died 3 months later from a turbo C. Another brother died suddenly. You can't convince me it was safe and effective.
Idk if it’s safe and we prob won’t for some time to come. I’d like to believe it is but I have no basis to say it is safe long term. I do believe it is effective severe covid cases fell off like a rock as the vaccine got more and more widely distributed. I also believe it is shrouded in too much controversy to ever know the real deal truth.
The vaccines are safe. Like most vaccines, 99.99% of folks tolerate them just fine, and a small minority may have more severe side effects. Per the 2nd article below, they reduced the risk of dying from severe Covid by 74%. When in doubt, get the vaccine, and keep getting the boosters that come out every year.
Recently had surgery and was in ICU after. I woke up at 4am after going in at 7am the day before, with a breathing tube in and couldn’t talk (obvs). I wasn’t prepared for how bad it was going to be when I woke up but the ICU nurse was a friggin angel, calmed me down and once the breathing tube was removed we had such lovely chats. She kept me sane and occupied and I don’t know if I would have got through the first few days without her. So from a random stranger, just want to say thank you for the work you do. I hope in some small way you understand the impact you have on patients just by being there!
I often give pre op teaching to scheduled open heart patients. They will arrive at the hospital and wake up 10+ hours later on the ventilator in an ICU I always tell them waking up and getting the tube out is the worst part. I do what I can to get people through it but sometimes they’re still too anxious and require medication. I hope I never have to go through that.
What’s the weird case you seen?
I’ve seen lots of weird stuff. One that stands out to me is a woman we couldn’t discharge from the hospital as she just had open heart surgery and was homeless. Social work discovered she had a few million dollars in liquid cash in her bank accounts. Plenty enough to buy a very nice home in my area. Social work tried to set her up with an apartment and even help her just buy a humble little place cash and she refused she said she likes being homeless she likes her “freedom” and eventually left against medical advice and went to live where I can only assume is under a bridge or something.
Can you go back in the records, reach out to her, and on my behalf ask her is she wants to donate that lump sum directly to my bank account? I mean if she ain't gonna use it I sure as fuck could.
Have you seen any shady or illegal things done by other nurses? I hear a lot about nurses stealing pain meds, is that a huge thing? In your experience do nurses/doctors discriminate against certain races or certain types of people and treat them differently? How has working in the ICU changed your view of life?
It’s Not a HUGE thing to steal drugs mainly because it’s so hard too I have to quite literally use my fingerprint to get out meds count the controlled substances and if there is a discrepancy pharmacy is immediately notified and all this while on video. If u steal drugs u will get caught there’s just to much evidence but I’ve definitely seen it happen. I wouldn’t say I’ve seen nurses or doctors be discriminatory to certain races but definitely I’ve seen substance abuse and mentalhealth patients get labeled and treated poorly. Working in the icu has made me realize my own mortality. I’ve seen so many people have there life snatched away seemingly out of nowhere and I’ve always realized that saving a life isn’t the same as saving a human being
Thanks for your answers. What do you mean be saving a life isn’t the same as saving a human being?
I’ve saved a ton of people. Technically speaking a pulse is alive. I’ve restored pulses on tons of people but very few people make it with any quality of life left they usually have brain damage and it just leaves me to question why save them if this is the situation I’m putting them in
I’ve experienced the discrimination ever since I suffered a brain injury. There’s a complete 180 change in how both doctors and nurses treat me since my brain injury. I’ve lost all respect for both professionals. I’m also very blunt with my children, that there are no healthcare workers with morals or integrity.
I had terrible doctors after my brain injury. The first laughed at me on how I injured myself and it just went downhill from there.
I went 5.5 years with an undiagnosed frontal lobe contusion and frontal lobe syndrome. I always knew my injury was very bad but I couldn’t find anyone who believed what I said.
Ive filed my second civil rights complaint with a hospital because of the flat out horrible discrimination I have experienced. I have an investigation ongoing against of the “best” hospitals in the world.
I just think the medical community is terrible. I never got an opportunity to ever get help, despite my begging for help after my brain injury. I was messaging my neurologist 4 months out, telling him I was getting worst. Nothing. No help ever.
I just don’t understand how you can live with yourselves. The extreme level of cruelty for people who are sick.
And then nurses have the audacity to think that someone like me, who used to hold your profession in high regard, think that there is something wrong with me because I don’t like nurses.
The level of evilness in the medical community for those of us who are sick. My medicine will be a bullet if I ever get sick. Worlds better than ever seeing the face of another nurse or doctor ever again. I know exactly what will happen if I do. I’ll be laughed at and miss treated. The very last time I ever lay eyes on a nurse was the time one laughed in my face because I couldn’t remember the name of my job. Because of my brain injury. I have nothing but raging hatred for both doctors and nurses.
You have no idea how you peers have made my life unlivable. With ignoring all of the extremely obvious signs that my brain injury was a brain bleed on my frontal lobe, not a concussion. Then nasty notes after I got upset with a neurologist when my brain bleed was still healing, who was shaming me about my birth injury. I went off on him and now have some sort of evil comments in my medical records.
You people have no ethics. Zero compassion. You just bet the sh-t out of good people in hopes they take their own life. That’s the game plan with every single doctor and nurse in Cleveland. I hate them all equally. They are all are such terrible people.
Healthcare workers are the worst people on earth. I wish I had never met a single one of them. I got no help and only abuse.
So since you're blunt I imagine you can handle blunt speech – nothing in your life is going to change until you do.
Your experience is valid I wanna say that first and foremost and I'm very sorry that you experienced a negative outcome. Life unfortunately though can include multiple negative outcomes – how you navigate those outcomes is the determination of quality of life in part… And I want to emphasize the in part component to say with certainty anyone struggling and suffering with a long-term chronic debilitating condition certainly would have way more challenge I have quality of life and just "being positive" vs somebody who doesn't.
It is estimated it up to 30% of brain injury survivors have clinical depression. Have you considered that you may be struggling with this?
You seem to be perseverating and in a negativistic black-and-white loop.
Again – I'm not dismissing that you had a terrible experience and that you're probably still experiencing terrible symptoms – the question becomes what can you do or what have you done?
Are you actively in therapy? Are you taking medication's under the supervision of a psychiatrist?
The sad part about brain injury is that it leaves people with decreased insight into their own deficits and at times it can also mean that they are self limiting and self-destructive… Have you considered that potentially being the case for yourself?
I cannot emphasize the enough like I said many times already your experience is valid and your feelings are valid but to the extent at which you have expressed them it seems that it is very pervasive in your life-my goal is to help illuminate a perspective from a different light and hopefully offer you options for action
For example healthcare professionals and brain injury survivors can be some of the toughest patients because they are resistant to treatment… Are you familiar with that term resistant to treatment?
Because they are so familiar with the system and they've been in the system in and out because of their work or because of their diagnosis they think they know everything and they've seen it all when in fact they haven't.
What’s your greatest achievement in the field?
At this point in my career nothing too overly exciting but allowing super sick people to die on there terms while keeping them comfortable and preserving there dignity is something I wil always stand by as a great achievement
It is such a beautiful and admirable thing to do. I am very thankful there are people like you in the world. Thank you for everything you do. It is one of the most important tasks in the world.
I love you for this
I’ve been approved for MAID and I hope to have people like you around me then.
I'm so sorry you are faced with this. Sending warm thoughts and prayers for a peaceful transition.
I was in the ICU 9 days with adrenal crisis. Altered significantly for much of that time and apparently I was kind of a dick to the nurses. I remember nothing for six of those days, the intubation, catheter, ct scans, mris, ambulance rides, LP, none of it. But I’m told I was not very friendly and that upsets me. Is this common and what should I bring the unit to show my appreciation and apologize?
If u really feel bad about it send a card to the unit and apologize if nothing else it will make you feel better about it but I promise you the medical staff has long forgotten about it. Someone with a medical reason causing them to be an asshole is no sweat off our back we don’t pay it any mind it’s why we’re here. However those peoooe that are assholes just got the sport of it can kick rocks. It doesn’t sound like you were that guy. U were sick and not urself try and not let it bother u if u can
I knew an ICU nurse. And listened in on lots of stories from her. I appreciate your work. How many patients do they have you working on at once? What was your favourite patient? (don't say unconscious). I have a fried who is trying to get better in the hospital right now.
Favorites are always the ones I meet at the brink of death and they leave under their own power. I take a particular liking to cardiogenic shock cases. How many at once? 1-3. 1 if they’re super sick 2 for run of the mill icu stuff and 3 for people that are doing well waiting to transfer out or go home
How would you characterize your relationship with the mds?
Id literally trust them with my life and they trust me with there licenses. I’m fortunate to work with a stellar team of doctors I realize not everyone is as lucky as I am but I love my doctors they’re so skilled and professional and I feel they take care of us. They’re always buying us lunches and sticking up for us any chance they get. We’ve laughed cried and been through the wringer together.
If someone has had heart attack and asystole and put on comfort measures and appears to be totally unconscious, but then when they pulled out the breathing tube he appeared to be choking and gagging on the breathing tube, can that just be a brain stem reaction?
Asystole means dead. No heart beat dead. Flatline. If u are asystole u are receiving CPR or going in a body bag no two ways about it. I’m not 100% sure what ur asking. Isolated brainstem function is usually complete loss of protective reflexes and respiratory drive. U aren’t doing anything except maybe having a seizure. Nothing purposeful at all. U wouldn’t be able to pullout a breathing tube nor would u have a cough or gag reflex
Thank u, that is what I was asking, I appreciate your response
What are the best/worst things/excuses you’ve had from patients for why things ended up inside them?
Worst excuse is “I fell on it” everyone falls on it. It’s an excuse as old and tired as “the dog ate my homework” the BEST excuse I’ve ever heard is “I was masturbating” just own it we do not care just be truthful why lie we all know how it got there
Does “gerbilling actually happen or is it an “urban myth ?”
I’ve never seen a live animal up there but my god I’ve seen just about everything else. Although just because I’ve never seen it doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. Electrical wires up the male urethra has to be the worst thing I’ve seen inserted into the human body.
Ever seen anything supernatural?
Seen? I can’t say I’ve seen it with my own eyes but a nurse did come running out of our “haunted room” flushed and freaking out saying she just felt an overwhelming need to get out of there and about 2 minutes later I heard my name whispered in my ear directly over my shoulder and there was no one there to do so. Edited for typo.
Gotta say I myself am an ER and ICU nurse, and while I don't believe in ghosts, there were a couple rooms on both units that always made me SUPER uneasy and I avoided them .... and I thought I was crazy until coworkers said the same.
Bed 14 is our “haunted room” in the icu and bed 8 in the ER
Comparing to your first year, how often do you (and did you) cry when your patients died? Were/are there certain circumstances that are more likely to make you cry? Do you feel like you’ve had to numb yourself emotionally to be able to continue this work? Side note: much appreciation for your work!
First year was traumatic af although I never cried I’m just not a crier I’m not some macho tough guy I just don’t express emotion via tears I usually just get angry and have to blow off steam. The Covid years were absolutely rough we lost so many people well before it was there time. I wouldn’t say I’ve numbed myself emotionally I’m still me I still feel but I also realize at work I’m there to do a job the only thing that’s really changed over the years is I now know I can’t save everyone I can do everything 100% right and sometimes people still die it’s just the way it is and that was a hard pill to swallow
Have you dealt with many patients with severe anxiety over needles/IVs/procedures etc? I’m one of those people and being hospitalized is one of my biggest fears.
Of course! All the time. I just try and do my best to put the patient in charge. They decide when and where I poke. Most of the time the fear isn’t over pain it’s over control giving them control even a small amount can do a lot for them. If all else fails I just won’t do whatever procedure it is. I can’t force them they have rights and I find reminding them of that too can help
It definitely isn’t a pain thing for me. I have 30+ tattoos. It isn’t needles its shots and whatnot for me., so the control thing makes sense. I put off many medical exams and such due to it. Thanks for all that you do.
How do you cope when something leaves you haunted or feeling traumatized and you can't "leave it at work"? Therapy? Talking with the other nurses? Just trying to ignore it? A stiff drink after your shift?
Therapy for the ones I truly can’t shake I’ve got some people situations and images burned into my brain for sure and it has helped. I can’t ignore it. I can’t ignore something traumatic when I come back to the exact spot the event happened multiple times a week it’s hard to be at work on Christmas and try and ignore that terrible thing that happened to some little girls dad 10feet up the hall from u. Medication and therapy has helped the most
Have you had any experience with people experiencing near death experiences (NDE)? Or witnessed what they go through if their time comes?
I have never had a NDE personally thank god. I have noticed with the super elderly tho I’m talking 85+ years old they can almost “call” there death. I’ve seen them hold on until family from out of town gets there. I had a lady who was doing okay all things considered and I told her bye at the end of my shift and that I’d be back tmr she replied “I won’t I’m gonna pass away” and she sure enough did I was shocked cause she really was on the up and up. I’ve also had real sick patients tell me they family in there room and that’s when we all know we need to step up and get to work or we’re gonna lose them
Do you enjoy it? Why haven’t you switched to a less stressful specialty?
Love it. And that’s exactly why I havent switched. I love it. I love the chaos and adrenaline and everything that comes with it.
Thanks for doing this. My question isn't specifically for icu but I figured I'd ask anyway.
I had a hysterectomy last year and when I was in recovery just coming out of anesthesia they hadn't put any pain medicine in me yet. I came to consciousness and started almost screaming/moaning from the insane pain. I was begging the nurse to give me something. She became angry at me saying, "hollering about it won't make me give you anything any faster. You're on the list."
It was at least 5 mins before she gave me anything in my IV.
Was I the asshole there? I've experienced some serious pain and that was a 10/10.
Was I out of line? Why would she have been so mean to me about it? Would any nurse have had that attitude? What am I missing do you think?
Thanks again.
There behavior was inexcusable. I’m sure they had 9000 other things going on but still there behavior is inexcusable. U were not in the wrong. U should have been premedicated prior to waking up anyway. The nurse dropped the ball there too.
My wife had brain surgery a couple of years back, 2021. Neurologist ICU nurses were amazing as well as post op. My hats off to all of you for the job you do.
Hope ur wife is well. Neuro is one thing my unit doesn’t get a ton of which I’m glad about cause neuro is scary 😂
Successful surgery done at Houston Methodist, great team there.
What is the most painful way to die?
Acute liver failure. U just lose ur mind while u bleed to death and turn into yellow mush. It’s truly awful.
I’ll stop drinking.
Alcohol is so bad for you. Right up there with if not worse than smoking. Moderation is okay a beer here and there won’t kill u but if it’s a daily thing id consider cutting back. Smoking the damage is more immediate the relief of quitting is also more immediate. Alcohol is sneaky the damage is compounded over time and isn’t nearly as reversible.
I had a brain tumor removed then while I recovered in the ICU I had a stroke in my sleep. How did they know that I was having a stroke?
Sometimes it’s obvious and sometimes u don’t know until the patient wakes up. For the obvious ones they usually slouch to one side there bp rises and there breathing gets very irregular on the ventilator it’s pretty easy to see if u know what ur looking at but the less obvious strokes are impossible to see until the patient is awake
What tips do you have for those wanting to go into ICU? I’m in my final year of nursing school and I’m currently an employed student nurse in a high acuity unit
Get after it. Dive right in remain humble learn what u can and go get it. If that’s truly what u want do it don’t let anyone stop u and enjoy you earned it.
ED Nurse here. Why do you guys hate us? We’re trying our best. J/k.
But for real, what’s one thing that annoys you most when you get a patient from the ED?
No hate for my ER friends. ❤️ one thing that annoys me about the ED is when you don’t bring them to us. Once u get a bed bring them to us. We know the patients a mess that’s why they’re coming to us let us do our thing bring them to us asap. I can’t stand when the patient sits down there for too long especially for simple stuff like “I waited cause I wanted to get that foley for u” yeah thanks man I appreciate it but I woulda rather had the patient 15 minutes earlier and done it myself. Seriously just bring them up don’t wait on the central line or foley or labs to come back. It often comes from a good place on the ERs part but please don’t wait. U guys are awesome and I love u but u aren’t set up for super sick patients the same way we are
Ha. I’ll keep that in mind. I’m definitely guilty of doing this; pull that trop, run that urine, etc. But I feel like I owed it to our ICU. My first few patients always had some freak thing happen that made me look like an idiot: accidentally pulled an IV transferring a patient, accidentally pulled open patients foley bag getting urine all over the floor. I feel like I was definitely talked about after I left the unit.
My first few months I was a nervous wreck thinking that we had to get someone to the ICU asap. Now I’ve just had to embrace the idea that I’m also an ICU nurse sometimes. It’s usually not a big deal….
The only time I’m “sitting” on someone is if it’s a post-code and the patient literally wouldn’t survive the short trip up to ICU.
The worst is having a tubed patient on loads of pressors…then they add that extra CT Scan they want you to grab on your way to ICU.
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USA. Nursing is special to me because I feel like it’s one of few jobs where I can actually make a difference to someone every single day. It’s so sad that some people spend there life in a cubicle and never get to make a real difference other than making a CEO rich
How do you deal with family drama that is affecting the patient?
If it’s negatively effecting the patient I just kick them out. Bye see ya later. This is a healing environment and I have no time for aunt Janice and her bullshit and neither does my patient.
Do you think Near death experiences are real. Or imagined?
I do think they’re real I’ve never had one but I’ve seen some stuff over the years that’s too weird to be explained
How do you feel about organ donation? I know you must take care of donors a lot depending on your location/how busy your ICU is
As long as the donor or there family is agreeable to it I think it’s a a great thing it’s super interesting how it all works too
I have questions that I want to ask privately.
I won’t give medical advice or violate patient privacy but feel free otherwise
Did you watch Nurse Jackie? What did you think?
I didn’t watch nurse Jackie but my favorite medical show to date is the Pitt
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Pick one of my own to fail? Probably kidney. I can live a fairly normal life as a dialysis patient with strict compliance and lifestyle modification. I may even be able to ride it out and get a transplant.
Have you ever suspected a family member of attempting to harm or kill their ‘loved one’ who was an ICU patient? (Edited for clarity)
I’ve seen family and friends slip drugs to a patient in the hospital. Idk if there intent was to kill them but the patient did die of an overdose
One of my family members was recently in the ICU for almost a month. Most of the staff was truly exceptional. Thank you for everything you do and I appreciated the tough love people like you showed. I don't know how to thank the people who saved him but man, I will forever hold them in my heart even though I don't know their names or even some of their faces.
How do you decompress after working your shift? I know it's extra emotional as a family member, but it still must be hard for you.
At this point in my career I have good emotional separation so I don’t need to decompress to much. However my day off routine is catching up on sleep first day off I always sleep in as late as I want. Do something I want to do after doing so much for other it’s important to re fill your own cup that can be as simple as having a meal I’ve been craving for dinner or something more like a trip to a few days the important thing is just give back to yourself. Therapy for the cases I can’t shake off and overall remembering it’s just a job a very important and unique job but overall just a job.
Good for you. I'm glad you are able to fill your own cup and take care of yourself during hard times. To me, the ICU seemed like this weird nightmare where time wasn't real and everything and nothing was happening all at once. I was wondering if it was similar for the nurses and how anyone could go from being in charge of life or death decisions to regular life. I'm glad to hear you've found a rhythm.
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No question, just wanted to say thank you for doing what you do. Nurses are so important and have been so amazing in my experiences with them. Y'all are very special people! God bless you!
Do you believe the Cvid shot was (is) safe and effective?
When the shots were coming out it was reported that it modifies ones DNA and hasn't been tested . We said "oh hell no", not going get the shot. My brother got the J&J (pulled from the market) then died 3 months later from a turbo C. Another brother died suddenly. You can't convince me it was safe and effective.
Idk if it’s safe and we prob won’t for some time to come. I’d like to believe it is but I have no basis to say it is safe long term. I do believe it is effective severe covid cases fell off like a rock as the vaccine got more and more widely distributed. I also believe it is shrouded in too much controversy to ever know the real deal truth.
The vaccines are safe. Like most vaccines, 99.99% of folks tolerate them just fine, and a small minority may have more severe side effects. Per the 2nd article below, they reduced the risk of dying from severe Covid by 74%. When in doubt, get the vaccine, and keep getting the boosters that come out every year.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/in-depth/coronavirus-vaccine/art-20484859
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2842305
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38282394/
Take all my upvote!!
What other vaccine shots were mRNA before the covd shots?
No question, I just appreciate you so, so much 💕