Re: Stress/Panic Before Going to Work
What helps me is knowing I'm not alone. I just worked my 4th shift off orientation, and of course I still get those butterflies in my stomach just thinking about going back to work. Previously, I was a fairly confident cardiac nurse who thought I knew my stuff, but now in the ED, I feel like I'm a brand new grad. Something that really helped was talking to another ED nurse who has been at it for nearly a year, who still has those uneasy feelings. What I'm getting is that the ED is its own animal; that there is no such thing as feeling comfortable or confident. If that's what you really want, then maybe working in an area with more predictability, routine, and more stable patients might be for you. If you're okay with not ever knowing what the next shift will hold, feeling really dumb sometimes, and always having to be on your toes, then the ED might be the place for you.
Nursing News