Anxiety and Nursing Career

[Nurse Beth, MSN]

Dear Nurse Beth,

I have been an RN/BSN for 2 years. During that time I've bounced around to 4 different hospitals and units (med-surg, adult inpatient psych, inpatient detox, and another inpatient detox). I have really bad anxiety around work, and despite transitioning to "less stressful" types of nursing, seeking professional help, and employing various coping mechanisms at home I cannot seem to get away from it. It's to the point that I dread work every day and cannot even enjoy my days off because the thought of work is looming over my head. I'm starting to think I need out of nursing, but I have no idea what to do next. Do you have any advice for a fellow Nurse Beth?

P.S. I do have a talent for writing, and I'd love to be able to use that in some regard, but I worry a job for a nurse-writer would be hard to come by.

_______________________________________________________________________

Dear Too Anxious,

I would say you do need effective help because, I'm so sorry, it sounds awful.

Have you been able to pinpoint the cause of your anxiety? Is it the people contact that is causing anxiety? Do you think you may have social anxiety? If so, a job where you could work more or less alone or even at home may lessen your anxiety. Informatics or IT. There is a growing field now in telephonic nursing, through insurance companies and managed care entities. Does the thought of telephone conversation cause anxiety?

As far as being a nurse writer, you must read Elizabeth Hane's excellent article

How to get started as a Nurse Writer Also read my own story of writing and blogging How Blogging Helped my Nursing Career

If you have talent, being a nurse writer is not at all as far-fetched as you may think. You could start while you're still employed to see how it works out.

Just to cover all bases, have you considered medication? It works and there is no need to suffer as much as you are suffering.

Best,

Nurse Beth

[jasminesguillory]

I understand your pain. For 1 year and 8 months I struggled working for a LTAC and then for 4 months working on a Med/Surg floor. Right now I work as a Medical Transcriber. It is a dead-end job and I am planning to go back to the bedside, but only as PRN. My nerves can't take the bedside full-time.

I have applied for Case Manager jobs for Molina, Humana, United Healthcare, WellCare, Anthem, Aetna (to name a few). My goal is to use my nursing knowledge beyond the bedside. I also have my BSN.

Maybe you need to get away from the bedside for a while. Case Management and Utilization Review would be a great start. I know the feeling of dreading going to work.

[MTtoBSN]

I don't know the market in your area, but what about working for a doctor's office? I hear the pay isn't great, but I bet it's low stress.

[AvaRose]

I understand the feeling already. I've been at my first nursing job for 1 week and I already dread going to work. It's not the working part or even talking to people...its being afraid to do things that I KNOW that I know how to do without having someone tell me I'm not making a mistake. I got too used to clinicals and having to have my instructor approve everything and now I feel like I can't just pull meds or chart on a patient without someone making sure I won't kill someone first. It may be time to start searching for a new line of work

[NewbieNurse3]

I feel the exact same way. I have been off orientation for over a month and I still get that feeling that I need to have someone next to me at all times. I dread coming into work because I am afraid of what the shift might hold or what patients I might get assigned. I work in a NICU with the sickest of the sick. I love working with the babies but it terrifies me to take care of the really sick or intubated ones. Any advice or suggestions? I am really considering going back to school or switching units after a year.