PSYCHODRAMA FOR NURSES IN A GENERAL HOSPITAL*

Abstract

The emotional and physical reactions of student nurses to the daily challenges of the sick room are the same as for other laymen, with the added disadvantage that nurses are not supposed to show how they feel. Many girls are so successful in concealing their reactions that most people remain unaware of the daily grind of emotional traumata which may influence their health as well as their efficiency. Even veteran medics can be taken off guard by some of the more subtle stimuli that assail them through almost every sensory modality.

Whether at home or in a hospital the sick-room automatically recalls multiple previous assaults on the nervous system and also introduces new ones. Odors, sights and sounds are the most obvious associations; but the mere alteration of the daily pattern, not only for the patient, but also for those who attend him can disrupt an entire household.