I would venture to say that two attributes we all have in common in the pediatric ICU (and nursing in general) are our affinity to be problem-solvers in tough situations, and to be comforters to the suffering. These attributes are what make us all so good at our jobs. They likely also exacerbate our distress over the events of 2025. 

Regardless of inevitable differences in political beliefs, the expansive LA wildfires, prolonged wars, wide swath of institutional changes nationally (some with significant international ramifications), uncertainty about Medicaid cuts, and community unrest, have presented more ‘critical’ issues for us all to wrestle with than we’ve ever had to consider, all at the same time. 

I’ve never thought so much about political history, immigration, the Constitution, governmental balance of power, airplane safety, tariffs and trade, international conflict, Medicaid funding, herd immunity, wildfires, the importance of research funding, national park staffing, and expectations of political leaders. That was exhausting to type out and it’s not even an exhaustive list.

Add to this my own normal life demands and stressors. A husband with (thankfully) minor health challenges, two daughters entering their pre-teen years, friends and neighbors to care for, pets to tend to, a home to keep tidy. 

Now I understand why, when I was in a rush with my preceptee to prepare our unstable, intubated trauma patient on numerous drips for travel to MRI, I found myself suddenly battling a deep urge to just walk out of the unit. “I need to get out of here. I don’t want to do this.” 

The thing is, I knew that wasn’t actually true, and I knew I wasn’t going to walk out. But I was startled nonetheless by how this urge surfaced seemingly out of nowhere. What was it trying to tell me?

My nervous system was simply shot. I’ve been trying to process too many very important things all at once. We all probably have. I was low on capacity to keep tabs on it all. The pre-2025 me, who was pretty competent at prioritizing and tackling all the problem-solving, was feeling ineffective and almost frozen. The pre-2025 me, who always fought so hard to keep a tender heart open to the sufferers around me, felt overwhelmed by devastation and discouraged by my inability to bring more comfort. The intense preparation to take a very sick patient to MRI was heightening all my stress and distress. My nervous system wanted reprieve.

Thanks to the help of a solid orientee and wonderful teammates, we got to MRI and back. We got through a very challenging shift. But the way my inner red flags shot up made me much more aware of my stressed capacity in this extraordinary season for our country. We are all used to functioning at high levels of problem-solving and extending empathy, but we are all being stretched in new and hugely unfamiliar ways. There are clearly no easy answers, but guarding our overstimulation, actively building in moments of reprieve from endless demands, and verbalizing our needs will be key in helping us show up at work well and endure these tumultuous times together.