Emergency nurses struggle to turn off survival mode after the pandemic

Retired emergency department nurse Amy Dinaburg discusses her article "Lowercase PTSD: Why emergency staff are still hypervigilant." Amy reflects on the relentless pressure of the COVID-19 pandemic where nurses were forced to override their nervous systems to keep patients alive. She describes the concept of "Lowercase PTSD" as the result of prolonged exposure to death and uncertainty rather than a single catastrophic event. The conversation highlights how the "hero" narrative often masked a survival mode that many staff are still struggling to turn off years later. Amy explains that healing requires small recalibrations, like consciously softening the body and allowing rest without earning it, to move from unconscious reactivity back to feeling fully alive.

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