ITU nurse returning to work after being an ITU patient any advice ?

[Blue24781]

In October 2019 I was pregnant with my 2nd child.. baby was due the end of October but early October I became unwell but presumed I was just tired due to the pregnancy and having a toddler too. I contacted my local maternity hospital as I thought I was in early labour and was told I was dehydrated and had a viral infection, I was given IV fluids and sent home. 2 days later I was coughing up blood and over the morning deteriorated quite quickly and ended up needing and emergency c section under general anaesthetic as it turned out I was Flu A positive and had developed pneumonia and both me and the baby were struggling. I spent 3 days on intensive care initially sedated and ventilated and eventually weaned to room air. I didn’t see my baby girl for 3 days. The intensive care staff were amazing and I had previously worked with some of them which was both reassuring but also embarrassing. I spent a further week in the maternity ward which wasn’t particularly great but both me and baby are healthy and doing well. Except I have been experiencing anxiety, flashbacks and nightmares. I am also due to return to work soon and I’m feeling anxious about this since being an ITU nurse myself I often look after patients in similar circumstances and experience it going both ways. I spoke to a senior colleague who actively takes part in follow up patients and clinics and they suggested this page may be of good support emotionally and mentally to me.

[FamilyHistorian]

First of all thank you for the work that you do. I wouldn’t be here now if it wasn’t for the nurses in icu.

So I was sedated / ventilated for 6 to 8 weeks and came out from hospital mid March. What is very apparent is that every one is different and the way that they are effected varies considerably. I had considerable weight loss so had to learn to walk, I had a trachy and as a result had a swallowing and eating problem. Also like you I had nightmares and hallucinations these remain very vivid I don’t seem to have problems with anxiety. My personality has changed and I don’t really recognise risk and more to the point I don’t care. However my wife takes on the role of being anxious.

I found that there was no support and joined ICUstepschester at the beginning of June. Their membership is not restricted to where you live but there are other sub groups of ICUSteps. Via zoom they provide drop in chair exercises and chair yoga and in addition support meeting for relatives on Tuesday evenings and on a Thursday a similar meeting for both patients and relatives. Talking about our experiences is really good and some people continue with the side effects some years later.

[Rhyl1 Partner Moderator ICUsteps]

Hi you’ve had a rough time so be kind to yourself. Are you going back on reduced hours for a while? You might benefit from using “the safe place” video I produced for ICUsteps. It is a way of coping with flashbacks and anxiety and can be found at youtu.be/0XCmCG6sn3w(Not working as expected?)

[Dabofoppo]

Its a weird experience going back to work in that field I was the same really anxious about it the things I found difficult were:

long hours 12 hour shifts were brutal at first but once I got used to them again it was fine.

Dealing with things that directly related to why I was in icu in my case anything related to dental stuff the first time I brushed someone's teeth I was sweating and a bit panicky and id been doing the job 10 years.

Also i experienced delirium and my first dementia patient after it got me really upset because I felt like I knew what they were going through.

But the best thing for me was just getting back into it and getting on with things.

( I'm an agency HCA)

[Sepsur]

Hi @Blue24781

Welcome to this forum, I cannot imagine being heavily pregnant, with avian flu & pneumonia - I had the last two things but biology precluded me from the first factor 😀. I cannot believe that you both came through largely unscathed - absolutely brilliant!!!

With regards to your recurring visions & flashbacks - I was told that if I had any recurring symptoms for more than a few weeks - seek help. I hope that we can offer you the emotional support that helps you but be aware that this support may not be enough.

I am part of an ICUteps meeting ( outside of this forum) - for our wellbeing we have set up a series of on line free classes appropriate instructors- we do 2 x exercise groups & 2 x yoga groups a week- you would be welcome.

We also do 2 x drop-in meetings a week - many people have benefitted because they no longer feel alone.

If you find these issues don’t resolve - maybe Every Mind Matters or Rise Above can help - you can also self refer nhs.uk/conditions/stress-an...

If you want to find out what our group does - please visit : icustepschester.org