anxiety or just crazy?

hikernurse · Feb 26, 2008

Talking to your doc is a good idea. But you may want to consider changing jobs, too. It sounds like your problems are related to your ward.

If you need meds, you need meds and only your doc can answer that, but if you can change your work arrangement to one that is less stressful to you, that may really help.

Good luck :). I sleep OK before I go to work, but I'm always anxious about working. I'm in my first year of nursing and it seems all that stuff I learned in school doesn't always apply to my unit :rolleyes: . I'd love to feel confident, even just comfortable, at work, but it hasn't happened yet.

RENAISSANCE RN · Feb 26, 2008

Hi,

I feel for you. Sorry you are having such a hard time. Anxiety is awful and terrible to deal with. Although nursing is incredibly unpredictible, it sounds as though your floor is total chaos. I assure to you that anxiety is not crazy. anxiety is anxiety. Speak with your MD.

I feel as though anyone in your position would be feeling some sort of anxiety. Various work loads, different types/mix of patients.

I am concerned about the sleep issue. This could and will exacerbate any condition. Please discuss this with your MD.

Best of luck. you are in my thoughts.

You will be fine. Sounds as though you are very empowered.

You should also blow off steam some times. go out with friends. Vent on this board.

birdgardner · Feb 26, 2008

I am a student but it's the same way nights before clinicals - have had insomnia all my life when I'm anxious -what's going to happen to me when I really am a nurse?:wink2:

What works for me is a Benadryl - and I've never had to up the dose or go to anything stronger, and have always been able to go off them when the stress is past.

Hope it gets better for you soon.

KLKRN, RN · Feb 26, 2008

I agree with changing jobs. Masking the acute reaction you are having won't make the job situation better.

Of course, you could move to California. I think mandatory ratios should be implemented in all the states. Eight very sick patients is crazy. I left med/surg when they were giving me 12 and went back when they changed it to 5:1

Blee O'Myacin, BSN, RN · Feb 26, 2008

I have been a nurse on a med-surg floor for 1 year now. I love being a nurse, I love working with pt's on a daily basis, and I love the feeling of success or gratification I often get.
One problem: my floor is so unpredictable. One day I may have 4 regular patients, the next day slammed with 8, another week they may put me with the seizure patients (7) who have the EEG's going crazy, and another time I may be with the "intermediete" patients (where most of them belong in the unit anyways). To sum it up, my floor is busy, and very very unpredictible.
The nights before I work, I wake up every hour and look at the clock (I can not get a full block of sleep), I have night sweats (to the point where the collar of my night shirt will be drenched), and I dream about work.
If I am off the next day, I can sleep though the night like a log, no night sweats, etc.
I have a doctor's appointment this week and plan on talking with her about the situation. I am a bit worried b/c anxiety/depression runs of both sides of the family.
I just wanted some of yall's opinions, or do any of you feel the same way? :heartbeat

I don't think you are crazy, and you are not alone with these kind of feelings. Personally, I find that a low dose of xanax helps immensely on those nights where my brain just won't turn off. I do talk to a therapist, and my family doc writes the scrips. I find my work to be challenging and rewarding, and the therapy really helps me cope with bad stuff I see and have to deal with, and she's given me a non-biased, non-judgemental person I can unload on, so that I am not burdening my husband with absolutely everything. And she is helping me with non-medication relaxation techniques.

So, definately talk to someone, I don't feel a stigma attached to seeking out therapy. Also, exercising helps me as well. And I listen to really loud heavy metal on my way home from work.

Our choice in career makes it difficult to turn the brain back and forth from "nurse" to "person", so I totally understand your feelings. And please, please, please, take care of yourself while you are at work. Take your full lunch break - even if you decide to chart while you are eating, just find a quiet spot and multitask. And always empty your bladder! I find myself reminding my new grad orientee to figure these necessities into our day.

I also call my husband after a code or some other event that gets my adrenaline pumping, so that he can tell me a joke or otherwise amuse me when the gravity of it all hits me. (He just knows at this point that when he hears from me in the middle of the day, he needs to pull out the "A" material).

At this point, I am just doing the best I can in all areas of my life. Sure, I've managed to become super organized and efficient at work, but I do other anxiety provoking things like misplace the checkbook or forget that I am chaperoneing a field trip -- and I still have dreams that I signed up for a class and I forgot to go to it until the day of the final exam. So, it's all a matter of learning to cope with it. So when I have a solution to end anxiety, I'll be sure and share it with the world! :)

Take care of yourself and focus on those people that you care about and who care about you, because that's what it's all about.

((Hugs))

Blee

gospursgo07 · Feb 26, 2008

You should also blow off steam some times. go out with friends. vent on this board.

i plan on going out tonight as soon as im off, come 1915 watch out!

gospursgo07 · Feb 26, 2008

Our choice in career makes it difficult to turn the brain back and forth from "nurse" to "person", so I totally understand your feelings. And please, please, please, take care of yourself while you are at work. Take your full lunch break - even if you decide to chart while you are eating, just find a quiet spot and multitask. And always empty your bladder! I find myself reminding my new grad orientee to figure these necessities into our day.

Blee, thank you so much for your thoughtful response.

I always try to take my lunch break, there has been only one time in the year I have been here I have not been able to. The people I work with are great, teamwork is always apparent, and we always make sure each other gets some time off during the day.

As i said before, anxiety runs in my family...my mother is also a RN and she takes Xanax regularly. She says it helps her as well at night, and should be something I bring up at my MD appointment.

Thanks again. :typing