Hello all! I decided to write on this website because I really need advice on how to start my professional life, since it took me a lot of effort and dedication to become an RN-BSN.I graduated from nursing school over a year ago, and got my license two months after graduation. After getting my license I started applying everywhere within my state (Florida) with no luck. I wanted to apply to residency programs, but all of them required recommendation letters from the school I went to, and I didn't have any, because of my social anxiety, which didn't let me interact much with others throughout nursing school, not even with the instructors. I don't have many friends, and I feel very uncomfortable and awkward when I am around people. Now I think nursing wasn't for me since it requires lots of interaction with people, but at this time I can't do anything about it, and to be honest I like my profession, and I truly want to make use of it, the only thing holding me back is my social anxiety, I am too scared to go to interviews. At first when I just graduated I was ok with going to interviews because my mind was fresh with knowledge and I was kind of used to be around people, especially nurses and managers and all the medical staff because of clinical rotations, but now over a year later it has become even way harder to even apply for positions, I feel like no one will hire me, I feel like at the interview the managers will notice my awkwardness and they will immediately decide not to hire me. All this time I've been trying to keep reading my books, and focus on EKG reading because I would love to work in a telemetry unit, since it is where I did most of my clinical rotations and practicum, but even with that I feel like I have forgotten many important concepts and medications, and that makes me a million times more nervous to go to interviews. I am most of the time isolated, and I feel very depressed. I see many of my classmates moving on with their professional lives, they are already experienced and I am way behind, and it makes me even way more depressed. I can't afford going to a psychologist for now, but I bought a book to overcome my social anxiety, and It didn't help much. I would really like to get a job where I won't be judged, but believe me, social anxiety is a debilitating condition and it's not easy to overcome, I don't even know if I will overcome it someday, but I would like to hear from you my colleagues to give me some advice on how to start my professional life. I live in the Miami area. Thank you for reading and replying!
