Anyone else experiencing burnout??

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Dec 5, 2008

I'm burned out too. It's so hard to get motivated to study for this final exam

missjennmb · Dec 5, 2008

I'm not burned out, but definitely overwhelmed. Big things are falling through the cracks in my life (forgot to pay the water bill and didnt realize it until it was shut off...) My house is beyond nasty and I cannot find ANYTHING lately because of the mess (I have a family of 5 and they are great at making messes but not so great at picking them back up again...at all) I just cut my hours back at work due to my car dying and I think I have LESS time to study than I did when I had a car. (how does that work I wonder?)

RNKel, ASN, RN · Dec 6, 2008

Scorpio and Meriwhen, I could've written both your posts!!

I'm fried. And I'm graduating in June.

PedsRN1975 · Dec 6, 2008

I am so burned out too. I am just finishing level III and I have to say it feels like an eternity until I graduate. I hate all the busy work that we have to do, so irrelevant and pointless. I just want to finish, be a nurse and go on with my life. I am doing great in the program but sometimes it all seems like a never ending nightmare. My family life sucks because of it cause I don't have enough time for them, my friends have given up on me. I guess I am just having a pity party today. I guess we just need to snap out of it and keep placing one foot in front of the other and eventually we will get to the finish line.

Good luck with finals everyone! :bugeyes:

LovingLearning · Dec 6, 2008

No, I can't say I'm burned out. I'm charred, ashy, and brittle...ready to blow away in the least little breeze. :rotfl: I have, in the next 12 days, three written finals, final clinical competencies check off (IM/Subq, PO meds including drops [eyes and ears], head-to-toe check offs, one major care plan {that runs about 20 pages...}, two other papers, a geri assessment, and a pharm/math final. Not to mention real life; elderly father with broken ribs and edging towards pneumonia, mother wheelchair bound, and a 'vacation' with them both on an airplane to see my brother's family. Christmas shopping, wrapping all gifts from everyone here and sending them out across the country, including all brother's family gifts (usually three big boxes). I think I'll begin my own Christmas break on the 29th...and class starts again mid-January.

And it's only first semester. Thank God for my mind-saving activities like sleeping and my horse. I'm seriously considering digging out my sleeping bag and spending a few days tucked into the stall with the gelding...no-one can find me, so I'll be able to sleep, ride, sleep, ride, and then sleep some more. ROFL.

Good luck, everyone. It's the push at the end...we can DO IT!!! We might not be sane at the end, but we can really do this.

Best-

Lovin' Learning

whiteoleander5 · Dec 6, 2008

I can relate to all of you. I am staring at my planner, thinking about all the tests/skills checkoffs coming up in the next 12 days. And GOD help me because my brain is shutting off. I dont know where Im going to find the courage to get all of this done. I feel so defeated. I know I should be studying right now but opening my textbook and staring at the page is about as far as I get... AH!.... :banghead:

Good luck to us all. Lets just keep reminding yourselves that this wont last forever...

I look forward to December 20th when I can collapse into a mini coma...... :yawn:

AZO49008 · Dec 7, 2008

I can't say that I'm burned out, but I'm definitely ready for the long break over the holidays. There's some stress there, but I also can't say that I'm stressed out.

I guess I don't understand this "OMG I'M SO STRESSED OUT AND BURNT OUT" sentiment I tend to see in the student forum. Surely you didn't think it was going to be easy? It's tough stuff and we have to learn a lot in a relatively small amount of time. I entered nursing school knowing that for about 2 years I wasn't going to have a life, or at least not a very exciting one. I also entered it knowing it was going to be an uphill battle at times.

I think if you changed your frame of mind, you'd find that although it's not any less difficult or time consuming, it's not really as bad as everyone seems to think it is.

LovingLearning · Dec 7, 2008

I can't say that I'm burned out, but I'm definitely ready for the long break over the holidays. There's some stress there, but I also can't say that I'm stressed out.
I guess I don't understand this "OMG I'M SO STRESSED OUT AND BURNT OUT" sentiment I tend to see in the student forum. Surely you didn't think it was going to be easy? It's tough stuff and we have to learn a lot in a relatively small amount of time. I entered nursing school knowing that for about 2 years I wasn't going to have a life, or at least not a very exciting one. I also entered it knowing it was going to be an uphill battle at times.
I think if you changed your frame of mind, you'd find that although it's not any less difficult or time consuming, it's not really as bad as everyone seems to think it is.

'K, lemme see if I can explain (at least from my point of view).

No. I never expected it to be easy. Matter of fact, I expected it to be hard. Hard, I can do. What I didn't expect was the backstabbing, the egos, the gossip, the plain ol' BS that has come along with everything. That's the part which stresses me out.

For example. When I discover that I was the only one asked a particular question out of my entire clinical group, and it was extraordinarily difficult, one begins to wonder what's up with that. That sort of uncertainty lends itself to being stressed, and then there's the actual information to produce. No worries, I produced and was just fine. But why ask me that one particular thing that no-one else got asked/cleared on? Meh, I'll blow it off...more power to me, I suppose, in getting a more difficult challenge than others. It will benefit me in the long run. In the short run, it made me want a margarita.

If you don't feel the pressure, more power to you, says me. Perhaps you're the sort of person who doesn't feel the pressure. Rock on. Perhaps you're in a program which is so clearly designed and unambiguous as to not leave you questioning things with no resource to obtain the answer. Perhaps your clinical instructor doesn't tell you "Will you think about this? I mean, really. You appear smart, I can't figure out what your problem is." Maybe your colleagues have no power play issues happening. Maybe your instructors have no God complexes. To all of that, I say "more power to you...and rock on."

For me, at least, and perhaps others, those issues factor into our stress level. If it were simply the information, that's no issues. If it weren't for overload of writing and studying, I'd be saying 'I don't understand' too. But for me, I have a load in front of me, and one of the ways I'm dealing with it is venting here...and then getting back to the paper I'm working on.

It's all good...everyone sees things differently, and will deal with their challenges in their own way. One way is letting it all out to others who mostly understand where we're coming from...venting.

Hope that helps you understand a bit more...

Best-

Lovin' Learning

Salamanda NP, MSN, APRN, NP · Dec 7, 2008

I can't say that I'm burned out, but I'm definitely ready for the long break over the holidays. There's some stress there, but I also can't say that I'm stressed out.
I guess I don't understand this "OMG I'M SO STRESSED OUT AND BURNT OUT" sentiment I tend to see in the student forum. Surely you didn't think it was going to be easy? It's tough stuff and we have to learn a lot in a relatively small amount of time. I entered nursing school knowing that for about 2 years I wasn't going to have a life, or at least not a very exciting one. I also entered it knowing it was going to be an uphill battle at times.
I think if you changed your frame of mind, you'd find that although it's not any less difficult or time consuming, it's not really as bad as everyone seems to think it is.

I think it's amazing to be a NS and not be a stressed out wreck of a person with no life whatsoever. But, since you can clearly manage, congrats!

I am in an accelerated program where we cover a year of med surg in 14 weeks (12 credit course), and have comprehensive finals and a HESI that counts toward my grade coming up next week. Oh, and a 35 page paper due, more clinicals, etc. Knowing a couple thousand pages of material well enough to succeed at both the final and HESI is actually a bit difficult. And, as I quit my career to do this and am now living on one income with my husband, it can be stressful to consider the possibility of not succeeding. I think it is great that you are in a frame of mind that allows you to have minimal stress in your life, though.

I am sure everyone here went into nursing school aware of the fact that it is difficult and would consume much of our lives. Personally, I am not at all surprised by the realities of it after three semesters, but I AM burned out from non-stop 24/7 studying for the past seven months. I do not think that this has anything to do with my level of commitment or my expectations needing to be adjusted.

NS is very different from anything I have done before, with weird exams, sadistic teachers and unrealistic expectations. It is very normal to need a break desperately - especially when you also have a household to run and family to care for while in NS. Again, I think it's great that you are handling it all so well and certainly do not mean to be rude about your opinion, but I do think it's ridiculous to be baffled by those of us that are affected by all of this. Enjoy your break - I know I am counting down the days!

smiley2526 · Dec 7, 2008

'K, lemme see if I can explain (at least from my point of view).
No. I never expected it to be easy. Matter of fact, I expected it to be hard. Hard, I can do. What I didn't expect was the backstabbing, the egos, the gossip, the plain ol' BS that has come along with everything. That's the part which stresses me out.
For example. When I discover that I was the only one asked a particular question out of my entire clinical group, and it was extraordinarily difficult, one begins to wonder what's up with that. That sort of uncertainty lends itself to being stressed, and then there's the actual information to produce. No worries, I produced and was just fine. But why ask me that one particular thing that no-one else got asked/cleared on? Meh, I'll blow it off...more power to me, I suppose, in getting a more difficult challenge than others. It will benefit me in the long run. In the short run, it made me want a margarita.
If you don't feel the pressure, more power to you, says me. Perhaps you're the sort of person who doesn't feel the pressure. Rock on. Perhaps you're in a program which is so clearly designed and unambiguous as to not leave you questioning things with no resource to obtain the answer. Perhaps your clinical instructor doesn't tell you "Will you think about this? I mean, really. You appear smart, I can't figure out what your problem is." Maybe your colleagues have no power play issues happening. Maybe your instructors have no God complexes. To all of that, I say "more power to you...and rock on."
For me, at least, and perhaps others, those issues factor into our stress level. If it were simply the information, that's no issues. If it weren't for overload of writing and studying, I'd be saying 'I don't understand' too. But for me, I have a load in front of me, and one of the ways I'm dealing with it is venting here...and then getting back to the paper I'm working on.
It's all good...everyone sees things differently, and will deal with their challenges in their own way. One way is letting it all out to others who mostly understand where we're coming from...venting.
Hope that helps you understand a bit more...
Best-
Lovin' Learning

This is my first semester and I can't say I'm burnt out, but I'm tired of the BS too. There are several students the teachers favor (not the A students) and just let them slide with certain behavior. The traveling sucks because my clinical sites are 40 mins away and there's gonna be lots of snow soon. I just keep praying because God willing I'll get through this. Finals are next week 200 MCQ and 3hrs to take it. :)

gibson0726 · Dec 7, 2008

My BRAIN HURTS. I have 2 cumulative finals on Monday, and they are only 1 hour apart.

I have reached the point of saturation and frankly, I just don't care about the grades anymore. I just want it to be over! I'm going on a cruise on the 14th, and that is the only thing that has gotten me through the semester.

BUT we need to keep our chins up! Once we finish all this, we can close the nursing books for a month and focus on OURSELVES and our families.

I'm just SO ready to have my life back..and my husband is ready to have his wife back! We can do this!