That's why they call 'em 'mental-health' days---if you don't take one once in awhile when you really need it, you're less able to roll with the punches of the average day at work.
However, if you find this need is becoming more frequent with time, and particularly if you hyperventilate just walking in the door, then it may be time to re-examine your job and consider another area of nursing. I have been there, done that, and every time I reached the point where I felt I'd explode if I didn't take at least one mental health day per month, I knew it was time to look for another position.
The job I hold now, in fact, is the first and only nursing job I've ever had that I wasn't sick to death of after a year or so; in fact, I've been there almost 2 years and love it more all the time. But I didn't find it until I'd been in health care for nearly a decade; sometimes, it just takes us awhile to find our niche, a position which helps us to thrive and become better nurses and better human beings.
I empathize AND sympathize with you, kizzykatlove. You have a lot of company out here; you're not the first to question your choices, nor will you be the last. Best of luck to you as you consider your options.
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