anxiety and nursing

Selke · Aug 14, 2007

Here is one way to start getting a handle on this situation. I suggest you analyze your work experience and look at the different aspects of the job of nursing and try to determine what parts of it, which aspects, seem to cause you stress. Make a list. Make a list of the aspects of the job you do like. In which ways is the smaller hospital worse than the large teaching hospital for you? Are the stressful areas things particular to ICU nursing, or to other things not intrinsically related to critical care, such as poor staffing, lack of support services and other resources, a toxic work environment, bad MDs, poor pay, or something else? Or do you find you just don't care for ICU work, don't like the vents, high acuity, deaths, lack of patient interaction, whatever? Identify what you do like, what clinical experiences you liked in nursing school, and do a bit of research into other nursing fields that would have more of those things. Come up with a more specific list of likes/dislikes and it may be easier to help you.

lyfesaver · Aug 14, 2007

Consider giving it a little more time. Critical Care nursing can also be very rewarding! The first few years are quite stressfull because there is so much to learn. As you gain knowledge you will also gain confidence. Which will help reduce the stress you are experiencing. But quite honestly with the overburdened healthcare system and the shortage of nurses, comes increased work loads more and more paper work etc. etc. Creating even more stress! And as you know. Stress is BAD! I am currently quite discouraged (= stress) with my own position in step down icu The expectations of administration are absurd.(= stress) Patient care is often jepardized and at times flat out unsafe.(= stress) I never get out on time(= stress) and now... boss is complaining about that. Previously I had been in SICU/CCU x 10 years. Completely burnt out when I left....and didn't think I ever wanted to be a Nurse again. After a year (I ran out of $) I returned to work. but chose what I thought to be a less stressful position. :down: :down: Six years later.... I am feeling burnt out again. I witness disrespect by pts.,families, physicians and administraion.(=stress) Processes are changed continually and without input from us ...THE NURSE AT THE BEDSIDE. (= stress, stress ,STRESS!) What is the result of all this stress, you might ask?....Simply this.... Zero job satisfaction and a less then perfect quality of life. The trend of institutions for profit over patient care is chasing nurses away from the bedside and quite frankly, I dont see that busisness practice changing any time soon. So in order to perserve some quality of life consider options lited below. I am.

You might consider #1 Office Nursing #2 Become a drug rep #3 School or factory Nurse. #4 Home health and my fave....#5 Walmart greeter :lol2: :lol2:

YellowFinchFan · Aug 15, 2007

Consider giving it a little more time. Critical Care nursing can also be very rewarding! The first few years are quite stressfull because there is so much to learn. As you gain knowledge you will also gain confidence. Which will help reduce the stress you are experiencing. But quite honestly with the overburdened healthcare system and the shortage of nurses, comes increased work loads more and more paper work etc. etc. Creating even more stress! And as you know. Stress is BAD! I am currently quite discouraged (= stress) with my own position in step down icu The expectations of administration are absurd.(= stress) Patient care is often jepardized and at times flat out unsafe.(= stress) I never get out on time(= stress) and now... boss is complaining about that. Previously I had been in SICU/CCU x 10 years. Completely burnt out when I left....and didn't think I ever wanted to be a Nurse again. After a year (I ran out of $) I returned to work. but chose what I thought to be a less stressful position.:down: Six years later.... I am feeling burnt out again. I witness disrespect by pts.,families, physicians and administraion.(=stress) Processes are changed continually and without input from us ...THE NURSE AT THE BEDSIDE. (= stress, stress ,STRESS!) What is the result of all this stress, you might ask?....Simply this.... Zero job satisfaction and a less then perfect quality of life. The trend of institutions for profit over patient care is chasing nurses away from the bedside and quite frankly, I dont see that busisness practice changing any time soon. So in order to perserve some quality of life consider options lited below. I am.
You might consider #1 Office Nursing #2 Become a drug rep #3 School or factory Nurse. #4 Home health and my fave....#5 Walmart greeter :lol2:

Your post speaks very true of the reality of nursing (esp in hospitals)

For the new nurse green51207 in critical care I can only suggest to set the goal to make it for 1 year, 1 1/2 years - 2 years - then reevaluate.

Take each day at a time - look at 'successful' nurses in your unit - observe what they do to get through their work, time management - and attitude. I know I picked up different things I liked from different nurses and incorporated it into my own style. Give yourself credit too for what you've accomplished in your 1 year of nursing! Not many can step into an ICU right out of school and hang in there.....you know more than you think and you're more skilled than you realize!!!

I also think the diversity of what you can do in nursing is great. On my critical care unit most nurses stay only 2-3 yrs it seems (some are their 10+) but many of them are even leaving now.....

Consider what your doing a 'stepping stone' to other things. One nurse who was extremely stressed out (new 1st year nurse) cut her hours to part time (2 -12 hour shifts a week) and took a perdiem job in a cardiac rehab....

there are so many opportunities out there - don't give up and hang in there.