Help - I have shakey hands...

[speedykicks]

I start nursing school this fall. I am concerned about the slight ever-present tremor in my hands. I know I tend to shake when I get nervous, so I already got a prescription from my doc. for a beta blocker. However, in the past month or so I started to notice that my hands slightly tremble even when I am completley calm:( I was applying some antibiotic cream to a scratch on my partner's leg with a q-tip and noticed that the q-tip was shaking noticably - my partner noticed too and said "what is wrong with you?" I have always been this way - so I am not concerned there is a larger health issue. However, now that I am going to be coming at people with needles, it is freaking me out. Am I doomed to be known as "shakes the nurse"?? Anyone else out there deal with this?

[Curious1alwys, BSN, RN]

Hey, maybe you are just really nervous. I start NS next week and I have been so anxious! I had to put fake nails on so I wouldn't eat my own off! (childhood habit, reappearing)

I can't give you any medical advice though. Just wanted you to know that I am with you on the nerves!:)

[pebbles, BSN, RN]

I too have shakey hands. :)

I have a condition known as "benign essential tremor". Essential just means it's a tremor by itself with no other symptoms. It's genetic, and my mom has it too. It's apparently one of the most common neurological disorders.

To get diagnosed, I had to get assessed by a neurologist, and have a head CT to rule out a tumor.

I took propranolol for a while to treat the tremor (it helped), but I didn't like taking it continually, so I stopped it. Now I just have to manage my life with a tremor.

Patients sometimes comment on my shakey hands, and I have to smile and explain that it's a neurological condition. It gets worse when I'm trying to do something fiddley like a dressing change with instruments. Sometimes I just use sterile gloves to do dressings without the instruments. I don't have to start IV's at my hospital, but there are tricks you can use to brace your hands and stabilise the shaking - check with your skills instructor.

A few weeks ago, I had to ask a colleague to take out stitches for me, because I was shaking too much. The patient didn't mind that I did this, and most of my patients will see other aspects of my competence and decide the shakiness doesn't matter.

Good luck dealing with this. :)

[bbcewalters, NP]

Sorry I know this doesn't apply to the OP but, When I was in school it was COMPLETELY against the rules to have FAKE NAILS...dangerous for you and the patient....

make sure you check with your school about this, from what I understand it takes awhile for them to grow out.

[Haunted]

Hey , I am famous for my quivering appendages!!!! In my case it results when my blood sugar is low, and I also get flushed and perspire, not the picture of confidence! When starting an IV, removing sutures, tricky dressing change, working in the OR (you know those super fun exchanges between the surgeon and that shaky bottle he is trying to withdraw out of as you hold it upside down! Can you picture this poor dude dancing the lambada trying to merely catch me holding this suspended bottle? ) It cn be exasperating and embarrasing to be sure.

I try and eat small frequent meals throughout and stabilized the ball of my hand when starting anything requiring steady dexterity.