have you ever lost it at work?

Nurses General Nursing

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Went to work even though I was feeling sick I thought I'd be OK. Had the family from hell. Nothing worked and I couldn't seem to get anything done. Couldn't get an IV in, orders got lost...you name it. I made it halfway through a 12 hr shift then starting crying when someone asked me how I was doing. Ended up going home sick. Every morning at work I feel like I just can't take one more day and I have to quit. Almost every night after work I can barely walk and I'm brain dead but I usually feel like I did OK. I'm almost off orientation. My preceptor keeps telling me I'm doing great. I tell her I can't do this and she says "You ARE doing it...you have been doing it - you just need more confidence!" They tell me they felt like this too at first. I don't think it's normal to feel so scared and sick inside all the time. I tried to finish today's shift but was just too sick. Once I started crying I just couldn't pull myself together. I could no longer function. I should have never gone to work sick. Now I'm worried that I was doing so well on orientation but now they'll think I can't do it. Does anyone else ever feel like this?

Specializes in cardiac med-surg.

love the story bulldawg

sounded like a real tough day

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Thank goodness for kind and compassionate preceptors. Supportive role models make all the difference in the world. One day, you will be the preceptor who will be looked to for guidance. My best to you as you continue your journey.

About losing it at work....Nurses think they are supposed to have all the answers all the time-and they are supposed to be efficient when working their miracles. YEAH RIGHT! Do your best and keep in close touch with the nursing education department at your facility. The facility needs and wants to keep you. Staffing turnover costs a lot of money!

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Specializes in Staff nurse.

I work night shift and hadn't had a lunch or break, very busy. And at 0530 I started crying at the nurses' station while looking at the pile of blood draws I had for the morning...and said I need a new job! One of my fave doctors was there checking charts and when he left he said "It will get better". Bless him! I took a couple of minutes with an OJ and felt better.

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Specializes in Utilization Management.
what is NBD?

No Big Deal, maybe? :idea:

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Specializes in ortho/neuro/general surgery.
Most nurses if they were completely honest would admit to losing it at work,at least once. We are ONLY human afterall.

I've been an RN since 6/04 and I *still* get butterflies on the way to work and frequently feel like quitting due to anxiety. I think the way you are feeling is very very common.

I have lost it at work more than a few times. Once was when I had two admissions back to back at the beginning of a 11p-7a shift and I hadn't even seen my worst patient yet (weaned off vent that am, insulin drip, s/p repair of an eviscerated abdominal wound from repair of perforated bowel that occured during gyne OR with Temp 102+ and blood pressure in toilet, leaking stool out of wound-:uhoh21: ). I didn't know the 2nd admit was coming and when ER called me to give report I told 'em I'd call 'em back and lost it on my charge nurse.

Another time I lost it at work when a patient's caregiver called and reamed me out over a med situation, then the patient's doc reamed me out even worse over the phone (pharmacy couldn't find an IV replacement for a seiz med and pt was npo with malfunctioning peg tube, order for replacement had been written 12 hrs before). Then the nursing supervisor called me wondering what was going on because she'd gotten a nasty call from the caregiver and as soon as I heard her voice I burst into tears. Thankfully she helped me out. My confidence really took a hit when a pt of mine coded last fall and I haven't gotten over it yet.

So all's that's blab to say that yes, anxiety is common for nurses and I concur with the other nurses about getting help, cuz I did too, and I do talk to my psych doc about work stresses.

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Specializes in primary care, pediatrics, OB/GYN, NICU.

Thank you thank you thank you every one for your supportive replies! I want you to know that yesterday was my last day of orientation. Yippee! My last 3 shifts were so intense and stressful but I'm thankful I had those high risk situations before getting off orientation. I learned SO much and my confidence level is much improved. My coworkers said "even tho' you aren't on orientation anymore, remember you will never be alone. " That's comforting. Thank you again for being so honest and real in how you have managed. You guys kept me going!

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Specializes in floor to ICU.

been a LVN for 17 yrs and have lost it a few times. I'm perusing my RN. I wrote a personal narrative about it being a nurse and the stresses involved in becoming a nurse and then going back to school as an adult. It was for my freshman English class and I was nominated for a creative writing award. ;)

It happens. Supportive co-workers help a lot. We tend to swoop in when one of our flock is plunging towards the ground!

I work weekends and try to take one of them off about every 4 mos.

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I have read through most of the posts in this thread and I couldn't help posting. I have been a nurse in the ICU for about 2 years, started out in the ICU as a new grad after completing a one year internship requirement for new grad's in this ICU. Before nursing, I was in the best physical shape I could be in. Participated in multiple running and mountain biking races, worked out 5 days a week at least and had the cleanest health record of anyone I knew. About 6 months into my career I started suffering from health problems. I did as most people have said and just tried harder to cope with the high-paced, overly stressful environment that is ICU nursing. I spent days off researching nursing journals and articles online to try to make myself more comfortable with the work. Nothing seemed to alleviate my stress. This went on for a while until I passed out on the job. The charge nurse called my mother who lived locally and asked her to come pick me up while I spent a few minutes receiving care in my own ICU. Luckily for me, the NP for our Cardiology group had heard me the day before complaining of chest pain and had scheduled me an appt. with the Doc. before I even made it home. My mother even commented when she picked me up, "how I could stand working in that unit with all the noise, alarms, and craziness going on?" Even to this day I can never seem to make myself relax during the 12 hours. I am always tense, stressed, despite whether it's a "good day" or a "bad day." It's just not an enviroment that I feel I will ever be comfortable in. So, I guess my question to everyone is... Despite the fact that I love taking care of people... is it really worth all the stress and health ramifications? Every nurse I know suffers from some health problem of their own and a lot of them deal with stress with alcohol or nicotine. I gave it two years and I'm working on switching careers as we speak. I have to hand it to the nurses that have spent their whole careers devoted to such an amazing field of work. But I just can't handle it anymore. I just want a job that I can go to everyday without having to "expect the worse" and just try to "make it through the 12 hours." I want a job that I look forward to each and every day. Am I the only one that is struggling with this?

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Specializes in Rodeo Nursing (Neuro).
I have read through most of the posts in this thread and I couldn't help posting. I have been a nurse in the ICU for about 2 years, started out in the ICU as a new grad after completing a one year internship requirement for new grad's in this ICU. Before nursing, I was in the best physical shape I could be in. Participated in multiple running and mountain biking races, worked out 5 days a week at least and had the cleanest health record of anyone I knew. About 6 months into my career I started suffering from health problems. I did as most people have said and just tried harder to cope with the high-paced, overly stressful environment that is ICU nursing. I spent days off researching nursing journals and articles online to try to make myself more comfortable with the work. Nothing seemed to alleviate my stress. This went on for a while until I passed out on the job. The charge nurse called my mother who lived locally and asked her to come pick me up while I spent a few minutes receiving care in my own ICU. Luckily for me, the NP for our Cardiology group had heard me the day before complaining of chest pain and had scheduled me an appt. with the Doc. before I even made it home. My mother even commented when she picked me up, "how I could stand working in that unit with all the noise, alarms, and craziness going on?" Even to this day I can never seem to make myself relax during the 12 hours. I am always tense, stressed, despite whether it's a "good day" or a "bad day." It's just not an enviroment that I feel I will ever be comfortable in. So, I guess my question to everyone is... Despite the fact that I love taking care of people... is it really worth all the stress and health ramifications? Every nurse I know suffers from some health problem of their own and a lot of them deal with stress with alcohol or nicotine. I gave it two years and I'm working on switching careers as we speak. I have to hand it to the nurses that have spent their whole careers devoted to such an amazing field of work. But I just can't handle it anymore. I just want a job that I can go to everyday without having to "expect the worse" and just try to "make it through the 12 hours." I want a job that I look forward to each and every day. Am I the only one that is struggling with this?

A lot of what you describe appears pretty normal for the first six months. Before nursing school, I almost never called off work. During school, I had to a few times--just wore myself out with school, work, life, etc. But as a new nurse, I was shocked how sickly I had become. Mostly GI problems, which I now believe were stress-related. Coming up on two years, now, I'm morbidly obese, pre-diabetic, with borderline hypertension and incipient COPD, but at least I have my health.

I think you're right to believe that if you're still having problems like yours after two years, it may be time to look for a less stressful position. But a cousin of mine who has been a nurse for years can't work ICU anymore because "vent gases" (?) exaccerbate her asthma to the point of being hospitalized. I'm not sure what these gases could be, but she tells me she isn't the only one.

Anyway, it seems entirely posible there may be positions in your own facility that won't be as stressful. Med-surg has it's own woes, but you might find it more tolerable.

One thing I noticed in your post was that a lot of your stress-management sounds like hard work. Exercise and study are great, but I encourage you to allow some time for "vegging." I like birdwatching, because it can be as active or as leisurely as suits my mood, but I've noticed my cats don't have much in the way of stress-related illness, so I allow myself some time for watching movies, reading, surfing the net, and just plain loafing. I also take my cats for walks, from time to time. Cat-walking is the epitome of non-aerobic activity. We cover about a quarter-mile in about an hour, usually with a couple of naps along the way. Teaches me that life doesn't always have to be purposeful.

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Specializes in Neuro, Critical Care.

I cried at least once during orientation. There are several new grads on my floor and it can be very stressful. I work nights so on any given shift there are 8-10 new grads on a night. Ive seen each and every one equally as stressed out at times, Ive even seen a few cry. Hang in there. It will get better, swear;)

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