Critical Care Nurse, Croatia

I started working at the age of 18 after I finished my vocational school for nurses. My first position was on one of the surgical wards, but three-month latter I was transferred to the intensive care unit. It was quite a shock for many reasons: I didn’t want to be transferred during my clinical exercises;  I had never been in an intensive care unit before; and I didn’t feel confident with my new responsibilities. But at that time, we couldn’t choose, and I belong to a generation that accepts a lot without many questions. 

My work experience in intensive care, at the end, was great. I loved to work there, but there significant challenges at the beginning – especially a lack of support. There was no specific additional education. We learned from watching senior colleagues. There was also a lack of any psychological support in dealing with the suffering of critical ill patients, or facing the dying process, or how to handle emergency situations. We turn to each other to handle all these situations, but we were under great stress and unaware how very dangerous it can be for us, for our private life, or for our families. Support from our colleagues was all we had. We could understand each other well.

On the other hand, there was a critical lack of understanding from superiors and especially from top management. We were inadequately staffed, not enough nurses, and sometimes without adequate equipment. We had to continually improvise. 

When I look at the situation today, not much has changed. And that’s not really good for strategic reasons. Workplace stress and burnout are highly dangerous and increase the risk of adverse events. They do not motivate nurses to remain at their positions. It is critically important to insure a healthy work environment, with an adequate number of nurses, recognition by employers, good salaries and enough medical supplies and equipment.

I have now spent many years in the intensive care unit, and together with my colleagues, we have made some improvements in helping younger nurses to adapt, but I am sorry to report that no significant structural improvement has occurred. We are all still struggling.