Any Nurses With Anxiety Disorders?

sharona97, BSN, RN · Oct 4, 2007

You sound like you know what wasn't done and why. Did you know the instructor told the CNA what she did say to her..NO...Harrassenment I would think. I would keep going up the ladder of Deans, maybe they are aware of some of this (with the previous reports to "her" dean).

You sound very consciencious of your clinical skill. Don't let her define your future. Just a thought, but if I :balloons:really wanted that nursing degree, it would take something huge to stop me. Have faith and I wish you the best of luck.

ellieper4 · Oct 6, 2007

Hey Sharona97

Thanks for the support, after all the bullshit that i got from the ADN program that I was in inclusive of the instructors,I found the dean to willingly listen and tell countless students myself being one of them that she knew she had definite problems with some members of her staff and she was there for the students, e3ach time though regardless of the many students who reported back to her about injustices in their clinical experiences she still stood behind her instructors she specifically told me that the instructor and myself both had our own perception of what happened in clinical and she wasn't there so she couldn't question this instructor's decision. I finally as others have recognised it as a broken system "sick academia" and without and not knowing how many are out there/whom they are are pretty powerless to see it made right. I recently meet with a dean from another college on Friday who admitted me to their program which is really hard to get into academecally and because of the long waiting list of course after she asked me to tell her what happpened in my experiences at the other college, I told her everything and she of course knew of this instructors their reputation precedes them for always signaling out 2-3 students each semester to make their lives extremely difficult, and she has between 5-7 calls from students in that program calling her eaaaa ch week begging to transfer in and some she able to help but the waiting and transfer lists are so long that she's unable to help them all. She asked me where I wanted to start in the program and I decided after the lack of instruction and clinical experiences to start at 1st semester, yeah alot more money and finacial aid won't pay for classes that they already paid for that I passed once before so now it's a matter of trying to save up for it, but it's really where I need and know I should start from. I was so impressed with this program they have an 80% passing rate and are highly respected, so I'm excited.

sharona97, BSN, RN · Oct 6, 2007

:balloons: See another door opened for you. That makes me so happy for you and aso that you did not give up and pursued YOUR dreams and not someone else's. (That you know who instructor).

I wish you well and may all your strenghts outweigh your worries.

Sharona

ellieper4 · Oct 10, 2007

Hi Everyone,

Has anyone undergone EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing) therapy for anxiety/depression. I had an appointment yesterday with a clinician to discuss and began this kind of therapy, sounds very promising. It's used on patient's who have experienced a traumatic event in their life.

abod · Oct 12, 2007

I feel for you! I have the same problem. I can't tell you what to do but I can tell you that Lexapro worked absolute wonders for me. I haven't had a panic attack since a week after I started it 2 & a half years ago and my generalized anxiety has all but vanished... I only get anxious now when I'm in truly high stress situations. Talk to your doctor! Also... the most comparable drug to Lexapro is Celexa which is cheaper by far than Lexapro. BUT, I think Lexapro works 1000xs better. JMO. I had an upset stomach for 2-3 days when I first started it and a slight headache off and on for a day or two. Both disappeared quickly. Good luck to you! hope this helps.

mullyRN · Sep 6, 2011

I suffer from extreme anxiety. I have been a nurse for 2yrs now, I started out feeling very confident and loved what I was doing. After my first Code, I started to doubt myself and I felt responsible for the woman dying, even though I have been told by numerous people that it wasn't. I dont know what happened to me. I started on some medication to help, but people looked down at me, mostly family, because I couldn't handle it on my own. Since then I have had my ups and downs. I am off the medication and have been for almost a year now. I constantly feel like my coworkers think I am a joke, and my manager never ever gives me positive reinforcment, but she seems to make it worse by writing me up for tiny things that noone else got wrote up for. I don't know if she is preying on the weak or what it is. Our hospital just recently merged with another hospital where in fact I was employed at prior to becoming a nurse and my seniority is much more massive than most. Our turnover rate is herindous and most hate our manager. I don't know what to do or who to go to. I have tried counseling, and trying not to air my laundry but it is difficult. Most of the girls know, because my anxiety shows sometimes and I get really overwhelmed. I know I am a good nurse inside, but I wish I could still show it on the outside. I feel like I will never get there. I cringe every time I think about work, I switched to days and now just got the weekend position which means I won't see my manager most of the time and it's more layed back and the weekend crew is much nicer. I really hope it works. If it doesn't I honestly don't know what I will do. I have tried to get other jobs but I have not gotten an offer.

I hope someone could give some advice, I think I have exhausted my husband, best friend and family with this issue.

Thanks,

anxiety

StarDreitlein · Oct 23, 2011

I am currently going through the same thing right now. In my first semester of nursing school, I was starting to feel antsy but I didn't quite know why. This semester I started having full on panic attacks and I have no idea what triggers them. I withdrew from the semester and am trying to resolve the issues so I can go back in the spring. I would feel anxious during class but the panic attacks are usually during clinical. I try to stay the mind frame of "Its not about me, its about the patient" but it only helps slightly and I can feel it come on. I really want to be a nurse and am afraid that this setback will be indefinite in my career goals. I worry daily about this and i know it is probably contributing to an anxiety disorder of some sort. I went on various anti-depressants with horrible side-effects like nausea, vomitting, dizziness, more persistent anxiety attacks, depression. I feel so hopeless right now about the whole situation.

fltnrse2, ASN, RN · Nov 16, 2011

Hi Everyone,
I was just wondering if anyone in this forum suffered from any form of an anxiety disorder. I have posttraumatic stress disorder and panic attacks can be quite troublesome. I had to withdraw from college two semester's ago because of my severe anxiety. I found it difficult to sit in a classroom without feeling any anxiety. On top of that I suffer from irritable bowel syndrome which sometimes requires me to go to the bathroom quite often. I'm going back to school this fall and only taking two classes to quickly ease myself back into the college routine. My anxiety is like night and day. However, it is something I do still think about quite frequently. Does anyone have any suggestions for overcoming anxiety in the classroom setting or if it would be of big hinderance in me doing well as a nurse? Any suggestions and answers would be appreciated.

The answer is yes you can work

fltnrse2, ASN, RN · Nov 16, 2011

Dear Susannne 23,

the answer is YES. I develope panic attacks/anxiety and PTSD. If you continue to acknowledge "the thoughts" in your head it may become a self fullfilling. I also suffered for agrophobia and claustraphobia. What helped me was to keep 100% focused on the task at hand....your client. Say to yourself, "this is just anxiety I'm feeling right now, but it will go away, and don't forget to breath slow deep breaths. I was able to ride the elevators when I had a client with life threatening illness, and one again when I took the focus of me and keep the focus on the patient I was able to overcome. I went on to become a Fight Nurse, I have never experienced any symptoms siince. Some individuals tell me that depression is the underlying cause of anxiety, but check with your doctor about this. In the classroom use the ame tool "focus" on the work at hand.

As I mentioned erlier I became very depressed, I was

dx with cancer, my only sibling died suddenly etc. So I checked into a hospital for treatment of my depression. On the unit there were four other nurses in for he same reason, burnout. You may want to talk this over with your physician.

Lastly, avoid caffee, nicotine, liquor. Try to eat well and get plenty of rest, and above all if your physician gives you the green light, exrcise regularly.

Let me know how your getting on or if you have any morw questions. Remember no one has ever died from a panic attack. Remember to breahth!

FLTNRSE2