I am a certified nurse assistant at a hospital. I've had two code blues, both patients survived. But they are in serious condition. And I've had two patient deaths but technically three. First death was a comfort care patient who we knew was going to die. Second patient was also comfort care who choked to death and no one knew, so we didn't Heimlich her. Third patient got massive swelling in his neck, it cut off his breathing, but we were able to resuscitate him. I remember everything about each of those patients. I remember how my patients looked before and then afterward they looked totally the same but totally different, the looks on all the nurses faces, how their rooms looked, and how quickly I had to get back to work.
1. Donating blood or platelets
Every so often I get a patient that can't be saved. Some patients can't be saved but one blood donation can save three peoples lives. This helps to ease my mind. Sometimes it takes saving three lives to make up for one. You can donate blood three times a year and platelets 24 times a year.
2. Distancing myself
Unless I am addressing my patient, I call them by their room number. I started distancing myself after working at the nursing home. At the nursing home, a lot of the patients are long-term care (so they don't have a long time to live) and are do not resuscitate. A lot of times I left work there, went home, come back, and they'd be dead.
3. Talking to my coworkers
I mean they are the few people close to me that knows what it's like to work in healthcare. During my first patient death, it was a nurse that comforted me. Plus a lot of my coworkers are approachable, so I can always ask them questions.
4. Lose myself in my work, just for a little while
Simply put, it's a distraction technique. Doubling down on care for my current patients, helps me forget for a little while.
5. Watch TV show or movie where I already know the ending
When I've had too many moments where I didn't know what was going to happen and patients lives were on the line, it's nice to know the ending to something. I recommend any show where you've already watched each episode three times.
Of course, none of these are cures by any means. Do not hesitate to see a therapist, if you can. This isn't the 1950s, it's okay to admit mental illness and that you take medication for it. And no, a nice hike with good views and awesome weather will not cure you. It is a good way to spend a Saturday though.
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