{"id":8966,"date":"2026-11-01T06:39:27","date_gmt":"2026-11-01T06:39:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/?p=8966"},"modified":"2026-11-02T06:43:58","modified_gmt":"2026-11-02T06:43:58","slug":"healthcare-worker-stress-after-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/it\/2026\/11\/01\/healthcare-worker-stress-after-work\/","title":{"rendered":"ICU Nurse: 5 Reasons Why Healthcare Workers Carry Stress Long After Their Shift Ends, and Why I Explored Vagus Nerve Stimulation\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"8966\" class=\"elementor elementor-8966\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-524330c e-flex e-con-boxed wpr-particle-no wpr-jarallax-no wpr-parallax-no wpr-sticky-section-no wpr-column-slider-no wpr-equal-height-no e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"524330c\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e9ecd71 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"e9ecd71\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Olivia-Tompkins-1024x683.webp\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-9175\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Olivia-Tompkins-1024x683.webp 1024w, https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Olivia-Tompkins-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Olivia-Tompkins-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Olivia-Tompkins-18x12.webp 18w, https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Olivia-Tompkins.webp 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a80facb elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a80facb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3>About Me<\/h3><p><b>I work twelve-hour shifts as a cardiothoracic ICU nurse<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, alongside training and coaching CrossFit at a competitive level. For one week of every shift pattern, I&#8217;m also what we call a family liaison nurse, the person helping families navigate some of the hardest conversations they may ever face about their loved one&#8217;s care. I help facilitate discussions between families and the wellness team, making space for questions, emotions and difficult decisions. Sometimes that means supporting conversations in which we explain that, despite every effort, we can no longer offer therapy that will help their loved one recover. My role is to help families feel heard, supported and able to understand what comes next.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the ICU, part of my job is being the calm person in the room. For the person in my care. For the family. Sometimes for the junior nurse standing beside me.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It didn&#8217;t stay at work:<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a89bb07 elementor-align-start elementor-icon-list--layout-traditional elementor-list-item-link-full_width elementor-widget elementor-widget-icon-list\" data-id=\"a89bb07\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"icon-list.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"elementor-icon-list-items\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-dot-circle\" viewbox=\"0 0 512 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M256 8C119.033 8 8 119.033 8 256s111.033 248 248 248 248-111.033 248-248S392.967 8 256 8zm80 248c0 44.112-35.888 80-80 80s-80-35.888-80-80 35.888-80 80-80 80 35.888 80 80z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text\">I'd wake up heavy and puffy, as if my body was having an allergic reaction, and I couldn't work out why<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-dot-circle\" viewbox=\"0 0 512 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M256 8C119.033 8 8 119.033 8 256s111.033 248 248 248 248-111.033 248-248S392.967 8 256 8zm80 248c0 44.112-35.888 80-80 80s-80-35.888-80-80 35.888-80 80-80 80 35.888 80 80z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text\">Halfway through a hard training session I'd suddenly feel overwhelmed and have to stop. Everyone assumed I was moody. I couldn't say that the day before I'd held the hand of someone my own age while they died<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-dot-circle\" viewbox=\"0 0 512 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M256 8C119.033 8 8 119.033 8 256s111.033 248 248 248 248-111.033 248-248S392.967 8 256 8zm80 248c0 44.112-35.888 80-80 80s-80-35.888-80-80 35.888-80 80-80 80 35.888 80 80z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text\">It reached home too. When you're that stretched and emotional, it affects your relationship, and mine felt it<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-dot-circle\" viewbox=\"0 0 512 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M256 8C119.033 8 8 119.033 8 256s111.033 248 248 248 248-111.033 248-248S392.967 8 256 8zm80 248c0 44.112-35.888 80-80 80s-80-35.888-80-80 35.888-80 80-80 80 35.888 80 80z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text\">At my worst, if I was a button, you could hear static coming off me, constantly<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-354bf13 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"354bf13\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By then I was ready to try almost anything, and sceptical of nearly all of it. Here are the five reasons I think the stress follows us home, and what led me to explore vagus nerve stimulation.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0026b4d elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"0026b4d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-827cdcb e-flex e-con-boxed wpr-particle-no wpr-jarallax-no wpr-parallax-no wpr-sticky-section-no wpr-column-slider-no wpr-equal-height-no e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"827cdcb\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-241bc12 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"241bc12\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"42\" height=\"42\" src=\"https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/1.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-1851\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/1.png 42w, https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/1-12x12.png 12w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 42px) 100vw, 42px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2bab399 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2bab399\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>You Can Leave the ICU Without Your Nervous System Leaving It<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ebba736 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"ebba736\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/nurosym-6-1024x683.webp\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-9176\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/nurosym-6-1024x683.webp 1024w, https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/nurosym-6-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/nurosym-6-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/nurosym-6-18x12.webp 18w, https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/nurosym-6.webp 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-560bdc6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"560bdc6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After a difficult shift, I sometimes sit in the changing room long after I\u2019m ready to leave, trying to find the energy to face the Tube home. Other times, I\u2019m finally sitting on the train and feel like I could stay there until the end of the line. No questions, no decisions, nothing needed from me for a moment. For a long time, I put that feeling down to tiredness.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It wasn&#8217;t. The shift ends physically. The physiological state you were in during it doesn&#8217;t necessarily end at the same moment. Your nervous system doesn&#8217;t automatically know the shift is over. It stays on, scanning, braced, waiting for the next thing that needs a response, long after you&#8217;ve actually clocked out.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your autonomic nervous system has two major branches. The <\/span><b>sistema nervoso simpatico (SNS)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> drives alertness and the stress response, exactly what activates during a resuscitation or a difficult family conversation. The <\/span><b>sistema nervoso parasimpatico (SNP)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> supports rest, recovery and the sense of actually being safe enough to come down from that.<\/span><\/p><p><b>That&#8217;s the first reason: I realised that feeling exhausted after a shift wasn&#8217;t always just about needing more sleep. I also had to think about how long my body was staying in that state of alert.<\/b><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-43a4659 e-flex e-con-boxed wpr-particle-no wpr-jarallax-no wpr-parallax-no wpr-sticky-section-no wpr-column-slider-no wpr-equal-height-no e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"43a4659\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-af6c919 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"af6c919\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"42\" height=\"42\" src=\"https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-1859\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2.png 42w, https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2-12x12.png 12w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 42px) 100vw, 42px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-02f911d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"02f911d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Caring for Other People Has a Cost Ordinary &#8220;Work Stress&#8221; Doesn&#8217;t Explain<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f9ee376 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"f9ee376\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/olivia-1-1024x683.webp\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-9177\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/olivia-1-1024x683.webp 1024w, https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/olivia-1-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/olivia-1-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/olivia-1-18x12.webp 18w, https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/olivia-1.webp 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6cd39ef elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6cd39ef\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There&#8217;s a real scientific term for what happens to people in caring professions, distinct from ordinary burnout. It&#8217;s called compassion tiredness, first named by a nurse in the early 1990s, and it describes the emotional and physical exhaustion that comes specifically from repeated exposure to other people&#8217;s suffering, not just from working hard.\u00b9<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being the family liaison nurse means I sit with grief and crisis on a rotating basis. Some of what critical care nurses carry goes further than that too, what&#8217;s sometimes called moral distress, real, but with organisational and ethical roots a device has no business claiming to fix.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I remember the strangest part wasn&#8217;t during the hard moments at work. It was afterwards. In the supermarket. On a Sunday morning when nothing was wrong. Something would surface that I couldn&#8217;t always name.<\/span><\/p><p><b>That&#8217;s the second reason: caring for people in crisis, repeatedly, is its own category of load, separate from simply having a demanding job.<\/b><\/p><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;As a yoga teacher and psychotherapist, I&#8217;ve always focused on addressing the root causes of stress and imbalance, not relying on quick fixes.&#8221; &#8211; Laura Eisenberg, Trustpilot<\/span><\/i><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6ee1118 e-flex e-con-boxed wpr-particle-no wpr-jarallax-no wpr-parallax-no wpr-sticky-section-no wpr-column-slider-no wpr-equal-height-no e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"6ee1118\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5fae247 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"5fae247\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"42\" height=\"42\" src=\"https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/3.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-1864\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/3.png 42w, https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/3-12x12.png 12w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 42px) 100vw, 42px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-62881ca elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"62881ca\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Experience Doesn&#8217;t Necessarily Make You Immune to the Load<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6a47e89 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"6a47e89\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/years-of-experience-1024x683.webp\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-9178\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/years-of-experience-1024x683.webp 1024w, https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/years-of-experience-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/years-of-experience-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/years-of-experience-18x12.webp 18w, https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/years-of-experience.webp 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cc83c4c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"cc83c4c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There&#8217;s an assumption that the longer you do this job, the easier it gets. I believed that too, for a long time.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One study of critical care nurses found that those with more than ten years of experience actually reported the highest levels of secondary trauma and burnout among the groups measured, not the lowest.\u00b2 That&#8217;s one study, not a universal rule, and the wider picture is genuinely more complicated, workload, staffing, moral distress and organisational support all play a part alongside years on the job. But it was enough to make me stop assuming experience alone would protect me.<\/span><\/p><p><b>That&#8217;s the third reason: experience can make you better at handling the job. That doesn&#8217;t necessarily mean it makes you immune to what the job asks you to carry.<\/b><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-809ede2 e-flex e-con-boxed wpr-particle-no wpr-jarallax-no wpr-parallax-no wpr-sticky-section-no wpr-column-slider-no wpr-equal-height-no e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"809ede2\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-af7f863 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"af7f863\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"42\" height=\"42\" src=\"https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/4.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-1866\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/4.png 42w, https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/4-12x12.png 12w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 42px) 100vw, 42px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4d4684c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4d4684c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Recovery Tools Only Work If You Can Actually Use Them<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4d4f1ec elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"4d4f1ec\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/olivia-device-1024x683.webp\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-9179\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/olivia-device-1024x683.webp 1024w, https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/olivia-device-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/olivia-device-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/olivia-device-18x12.webp 18w, https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/olivia-device.webp 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c9ae0c2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c9ae0c2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Therapy, debriefing, mindfulness, journaling, all of it genuinely helped me, and I still recommend it to colleagues without reservation. I started therapy myself after burning out through COVID, and it mattered.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The honest issue isn&#8217;t whether these tools work. It&#8217;s whether a twelve-hour shift leaves you in a position to actually use them. Meditation needs a settled enough mind and a quiet enough space to land properly. Some hospitals put apps like Headspace in break rooms, and even then, you need fifteen uninterrupted minutes to use them, which a busy shift rarely allows. Journaling needs the same thing, a quiet head and a few spare minutes. A proper debrief needs a colleague free at the same moment you are, which almost never lines up on a demanding day.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">None of these tools were designed to work inside a shift pattern specifically. That&#8217;s an adherence problem, not a flaw in the tools themselves.<\/span><\/p><p><b>That&#8217;s the fourth reason: the gap isn&#8217;t in what helps. It&#8217;s in what&#8217;s actually usable at 3am on a night shift.<\/b><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d6191aa e-con-full e-flex wpr-particle-no wpr-jarallax-no wpr-parallax-no wpr-sticky-section-no wpr-column-slider-no wpr-equal-height-no e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"d6191aa\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-07f3a5c elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"07f3a5c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" id=\"number1\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"42\" height=\"42\" src=\"https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/5.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-1868\" alt=\"5\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/5.png 42w, https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/5-12x12.png 12w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 42px) 100vw, 42px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2bc319f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2bc319f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>\u00a0I Needed Something That Could Fit Inside the Shift, Not Another Thing to Recover From It<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-53b3cad elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"53b3cad\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/olivia2-1024x683.webp\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-9180\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/olivia2-1024x683.webp 1024w, https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/olivia2-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/olivia2-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/olivia2-18x12.webp 18w, https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/olivia2.webp 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a5cadf7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a5cadf7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As someone working in healthcare, I&#8217;m naturally sceptical of wellness products. What made me look closer was going through the research itself, not marketing claims about calm.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The vagus nerve is one of the major communication pathways between the brain and the body, playing a role in helping the body shift back toward a calmer parasympathetic state after stress.\u00b3 <\/span><b>taVNS<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation) delivers a gentle signal through the outer ear to reach this pathway, non-invasively. Peer-reviewed studies, many conducted at institutions I recognise, Harvard, UCL, UCLA, were what made me take it seriously.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That&#8217;s what led me to <\/span><b>Nurosym<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a CE-marked taVNS device using proprietary <\/span><b>AVNT\u2122<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Auricular Vagal Neuromodulation Technology).<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We have a wobble room in the ICU, a quiet space staff use when things become overwhelming. I use my fifteen-minute break there instead of another coffee, Nurosym clipped on, sometimes reading, sometimes just sitting. No app, no gel, no real setup. I carry it in whichever bag I have, hospital or training, the same way I pack my lunch.<\/span><\/p><p><b>That&#8217;s the fifth reason: it doesn&#8217;t ask me to find recovery time. It sits inside time that already exists.<\/b><\/p><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;It retrains your nervous system to understand that it&#8217;s safe to rest, relax, and let go.&#8221; &#8211; Marie, Trustpilot<\/span><\/i><\/p><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Testimonials are the users&#8217; own views and experiences, not company claims.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-36d64dd elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"36d64dd\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Come si usa effettivamente giorno per giorno<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-81eeadf elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"81eeadf\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><b>Configurazione:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Clips to the outer ear. No app, no gel, no prescription. Wired, not wireless, a small cable to a control unit, which surprised me at first and stopped mattering within days. <\/span><b>Sessioni:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 15 minutes to an hour.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Puoi utilizzarlo mentre:<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-52a62d7 elementor-align-start elementor-icon-list--layout-traditional elementor-list-item-link-full_width elementor-widget elementor-widget-icon-list\" data-id=\"52a62d7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"icon-list.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"elementor-icon-list-items\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-dot-circle\" viewbox=\"0 0 512 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M256 8C119.033 8 8 119.033 8 256s111.033 248 248 248 248-111.033 248-248S392.967 8 256 8zm80 248c0 44.112-35.888 80-80 80s-80-35.888-80-80 35.888-80 80-80 80 35.888 80 80z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text\">Sitting in the wobble room during a break<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-dot-circle\" viewbox=\"0 0 512 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M256 8C119.033 8 8 119.033 8 256s111.033 248 248 248 248-111.033 248-248S392.967 8 256 8zm80 248c0 44.112-35.888 80-80 80s-80-35.888-80-80 35.888-80 80-80 80 35.888 80 80z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text\">Stirare camicie per la settimana<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-dot-circle\" viewbox=\"0 0 512 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M256 8C119.033 8 8 119.033 8 256s111.033 248 248 248 248-111.033 248-248S392.967 8 256 8zm80 248c0 44.112-35.888 80-80 80s-80-35.888-80-80 35.888-80 80-80 80 35.888 80 80z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text\">Eating your lunch<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-dot-circle\" viewbox=\"0 0 512 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M256 8C119.033 8 8 119.033 8 256s111.033 248 248 248 248-111.033 248-248S392.967 8 256 8zm80 248c0 44.112-35.888 80-80 80s-80-35.888-80-80 35.888-80 80-80 80 35.888 80 80z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text\">Leggere prima di dormire<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-dot-circle\" viewbox=\"0 0 512 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M256 8C119.033 8 8 119.033 8 256s111.033 248 248 248 248-111.033 248-248S392.967 8 256 8zm80 248c0 44.112-35.888 80-80 80s-80-35.888-80-80 35.888-80 80-80 80 35.888 80 80z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text\">Doing the washing up<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bed00b2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"bed00b2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Le prove dietro di esso<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f2227c1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"f2227c1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Nurosym2-1024x683.webp\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-9181\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Nurosym2-1024x683.webp 1024w, https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Nurosym2-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Nurosym2-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Nurosym2-18x12.webp 18w, https:\/\/scienceinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Nurosym2.webp 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-748770b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"748770b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Results in specific study populations. Individual results may vary. The nervousness &amp; worry figure is based on a validated composite symptom score covering nervousness, worry, feeling on edge and related symptoms.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-aa6d532 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"aa6d532\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Who This Might Be Worth Exploring For<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-887bb7a elementor-align-start elementor-icon-list--layout-traditional elementor-list-item-link-full_width elementor-widget elementor-widget-icon-list\" data-id=\"887bb7a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"icon-list.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"elementor-icon-list-items\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-dot-circle\" viewbox=\"0 0 512 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M256 8C119.033 8 8 119.033 8 256s111.033 248 248 248 248-111.033 248-248S392.967 8 256 8zm80 248c0 44.112-35.888 80-80 80s-80-35.888-80-80 35.888-80 80-80 80 35.888 80 80z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text\">You work in a caring profession and absorb other people's distress as part of the job<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-dot-circle\" viewbox=\"0 0 512 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M256 8C119.033 8 8 119.033 8 256s111.033 248 248 248 248-111.033 248-248S392.967 8 256 8zm80 248c0 44.112-35.888 80-80 80s-80-35.888-80-80 35.888-80 80-80 80 35.888 80 80z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text\">You've noticed the strange gap between clocking out and actually feeling like the day is over<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-dot-circle\" viewbox=\"0 0 512 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M256 8C119.033 8 8 119.033 8 256s111.033 248 248 248 248-111.033 248-248S392.967 8 256 8zm80 248c0 44.112-35.888 80-80 80s-80-35.888-80-80 35.888-80 80-80 80 35.888 80 80z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text\">Your existing coping tools help but are hard to sustain around shift work<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-dot-circle\" viewbox=\"0 0 512 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M256 8C119.033 8 8 119.033 8 256s111.033 248 248 248 248-111.033 248-248S392.967 8 256 8zm80 248c0 44.112-35.888 80-80 80s-80-35.888-80-80 35.888-80 80-80 80 35.888 80 80z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text\">You want something that fits inside a real break, not one more thing to schedule<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-383d9aa elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"383d9aa\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do not use it if you have a pacemaker or implantable cardiac device, are pregnant, have had a recent serious cardiac event, or are under 18. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-76c18e5 e-flex e-con-boxed wpr-particle-no wpr-jarallax-no wpr-parallax-no wpr-sticky-section-no wpr-column-slider-no wpr-equal-height-no e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"76c18e5\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a95a913 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a95a913\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Un modo sicuro per provarlo<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4462a3b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4462a3b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><b>Garanzia di rimborso di 30 giorni<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, enough time to see whether it fits your actual working pattern<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ab4a57e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ab4a57e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>La mia sincera opinione<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cde3e26 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"cde3e26\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I&#8217;ve spent years being the calm one, the person families look to, the colleague who copes. What I didn&#8217;t understand for a long time was that coping and recovering aren&#8217;t the same thing. I took four months off work at one point because I&#8217;d been surviving for so long I forgot what actually recovering felt like.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These five reasons are why I think this is worth exploring, not instead of therapy, sleep, or the support systems that already help, but alongside them, for a system that absorbs more than most jobs ever ask of it. ICU is still ICU. The pressure hasn&#8217;t disappeared. But I understand what carrying it home was actually doing to my body, and I recover differently because of it.<\/span><b><\/b><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5a69ba55 e-flex e-con-boxed wpr-particle-no wpr-jarallax-no wpr-parallax-no wpr-sticky-section-no wpr-column-slider-no wpr-equal-height-no e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"5a69ba55\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3f693554 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3f693554\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4>OFFERTA ESCLUSIVA PER I NOSTRI LETTORI: Ottieni il 5% di sconto su Nurosym dal nostro team editoriale!<\/h4>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3389ae40 elementor-align-center elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"3389ae40\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"https:\/\/link.nurosym.com\/healthscienceinstitute\" target=\"_blank\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Prova Nurosym - Garanzia di rimborso di 30 giorni \u2192<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-18567a5 e-flex e-con-boxed wpr-particle-no wpr-jarallax-no wpr-parallax-no wpr-sticky-section-no wpr-column-slider-no wpr-equal-height-no e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"18567a5\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c53d66d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c53d66d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Riferimenti<\/h2><ol><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alliant International University. Compassion Tiredness in Nursing: Overcoming the Challenge.<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.alliant.edu\/blog\/compassion-fatigue-nursing-overcoming-challenge\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.alliant.edu\/blog\/compassion-fatigue-nursing-overcoming-challenge<\/span><\/a><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hilderbrand L. Compassion Satisfaction, Secondary Trauma and Burnout by Years of Critical Care Experience. Johns Hopkins School of Nursing DNP Project. 2021.<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/nursing.jhu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Hilderbrand-L-Spr-2021-DNP-Project-Poster.pdf\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/nursing.jhu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Hilderbrand-L-Spr-2021-DNP-Project-Poster.pdf<\/span><\/a><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Breit S, Kupferberg A, Rogler G, Hasler G. Vagus nerve as modulator of the brain-gut axis in psychiatric and inflammatory disorders. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Frontiers in Psychiatry<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. 2018.<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyt.2018.00044\/full\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyt.2018.00044\/full<\/span><\/a><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Geng D, et al. The effect of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation on HRV in healthy young people. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PLoS ONE<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. 2022.<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0263833\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0263833<\/span><\/a><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zheng et al. Frontiers in Neurology. 2024. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fneur.2024.1393371\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fneur.2024.1393371\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/li><\/ol><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This article reflects my personal experience and professional perspective. This article is published in partnership with Nurosym. I may receive compensation from purchases made through links in this article. This is not medical advice, always consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting any new intervention. Individual results may vary.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>About Me I work twelve-hour shifts as a cardiothoracic ICU nurse, alongside training and coaching CrossFit at a competitive&hellip;<\/p>","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":9175,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8966","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mental-health","category-stress"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Healthcare Worker Stress: 5 Reasons It Follows You Home<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover why healthcare worker stress doesn&#039;t end after a shift. 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