Please read and respond. Way depressed. - Page 2

Wow you seem like you are in a mess! Sometimes in the beginning I felt OVERWHELMING ANXIETY, but I usually used to feel that way all the time in new experiences, I would routinely lose about 10lbs in less than a month from not eating. THe more I went through anything the more I could handle it, including nursing. Your husband is so upset you are about to leave him to go live with your dad? What if your dad reacts the same way as your husband? Plenty of adults would. Especially if this is the first they are hearing about your dislike of nursing etc. How do you generally react to new jobs/ life situtations in the past? I think LD/LTC are not great places for most new grads. Can you switch into a med surg floor where you work now? How long have you been working ? I felt TERRIBLE and couldnt eat/sleep do anything well for about 3-4 months,maybe more , i try not to remember that period, mostly because of my job but also because or relocating.

please talk to someone asap. especially your family! give them a chance to care for you...but you also need to see your pcp or a mental health person, your clergy...maybe an instructor? someone who can help you access the care you need. please if you feel like you are in danger of hurting yourself or someone else call a suicide hotline....i will be thinking of you.

I feel for you, I also think I made a mistake with this career. You are correct, school definitely does not give you that feeling of actual responsibility for patients. And that can be extremely overwhelming and scary. I have been at it for about 7 years now and I reallllly want out of this career. I want a job that doesn't make me feel sad and cry all the time...which nursing often does. Before you totally give up the career though check into different areas. I worked in a doctors office which wasn't that bad. If you are starting in a hospital then that is very scary for new grads. I tried it and quit. I also felt like you, I really missed my daughter, I hated that I was scheduled on her birthday and also that I missed taking her to a holiday parade. Might sound silly but my family is number one to me. The job I have now i am off all holidays but I still daydream about NOT being a nurse one day. Just letting you know you are NOT alone.

I agree with other posters. Depression and anxiety create a "filter" through which we view the rest of the world, including our jobs, relationships, etc. I suspect this doesn't have much to do with nursing at all; nursing simply created a stressful environment to bring on this crisis. Please seek help immediately. If your primary care doctor can't see you, insist on a referral to a mental health professional. Nursing is really the smallest of your concerns at this point. You need to take care of yourself, mend the relationship with your husband, take care of your daughter, and THEN you can think about nursing. Good luck.

First thing YOU (not anyone else you feel like you've let down) have recently achieved something that like half of all people who try to do, can't manage..... and that is graduate from nursing school. So before you feel disappointment, pat yourself on the back

Second, the job you are about to enter (when you finish orientation) may simply not be the right work environment for you. There are more things you can do with your RN other than work in a patient care setting. We all know this...there are a bazillion different things you can do, they may not be easy to come by or glamorous but they might be something that works for YOU. You just have to go out there and grab it. Don't let insecurities or anxieties about one situation carry through to finding what you really want to do, and sure as hell dont listen to all those B's that say "This isn't right for you you should consider a career change." You worked hard, you graduated, you know your stuff now go out there and use it to your advantage. When the going gets tough, make like Martha and GET CRAFTY!

Next, (Get help, obviously?) But get help from your peers, from the school where you got your ADN, if taking on patients one on one is too much for you right now (and remember the "right now") find an opportunity that is less intense. I know nurses right out of school who work for health insurance companies, who work as patient advocates for seniors and people with disabilities, people who work for clinics and do nothing but work with families. The list goes on, but finding your niche in that list can be really overwhelming and you need the help of your peers and educators to help you find your way.

This whole thing is not a dead end for you. You are not a disappointment and you aren't letting anyone down. The only way you can improve your life is by deliberation, challenging your own ideas and decisions, and putting in the work to change it. You've identified a problem and you're going to be able to fix it. If at the end of the whole ordeal it REALLY isn't for you well then it just really isn't for you but don't walk away from the whole thing with dejection. The entire process is an achievement regardless of where you might land.

I hope you find your way, be strong and walk tall!

thank you for sharing your story. I am just a pre nursing student, an d I am stressed out already, I can relate. seek help and get well!good luck.

This kind of anxiety is not normal. I don't think nursing is so much the problem, I think it is your anxiety. I think you will be this overwhelmed in any kind of professional environment that has deadlines.

...i am concerned for you. i think maybe the depression is making it difficult for you to do well at work. it is also affecting your home environment. you need to seek help immediately......you can get help and an eval at any emergency department. please seek assistance if you are feeling unsafe for any reason. there are other positions that can open to you with that one year experience. day surgery, pre-op, office nursing.......what about your dream of l&d nursing? i think your depression is causing you to not be able to do well in any aspect of your life......especially with your daughter.

the first year after nursing sucks big time. every new nurse feels they are not able to do the job and think they made a mistake....it's normal.maybe you need some brain sheets to help you organize and feel more control.......here are a few.

ntp medsurg.doc 1 patient float.doc‎
5 pt. shift.doc‎
finalgraduateshiftreport.doc‎
horshiftsheet.doc‎
report sheet.doc‎
day sheet 2 doc.doc

‎critical thinking flow sheet for nursing students

You ..and your mental health must come first.
It is not possible to take care of others unless you have the strength to do so.

Please don't feel that you cannot be a nurse. There are many options that are less stressful than floor nursing.
As I replied in your previous post, there are options for treatment.

If you are not able to get medical advice quickly.. I would request a personal leave until that could be accomplished.

DON'T give up on yourself! You are a strong person.. otherwise,, you would not have made it through nursing school.

my heart goes out to you regarding the turmoil you're facing. however, here's my cents worth advice short and sweet, in order to help others you must first help yourself...wishing you always the best as i send you warm hugs from across the miles ...aloha~