Depression + Anxiety as a Nurse

[jesslahti future LVN]

Hi guys,

I’ve had depression & anxiety for many years, if not forever really. I am very worried about my mental health affecting my nursing ability. I am currently in lvn/lpn school, doing well. Should I just drop out and be a CNA?

Thanks guys &

Happy early Thanksgiving ♥️

[Ella26, BSN, RN]

Why do you feel you should drop out and do CNA?...

What is the source of your anxiety and depression?...

It is possible to be successful in your nursing studies and career despite having anxiety and depression. You just need to have a good support system, know your limitations (don’t be driven to a breakdown), don’t procrastinate, be proactive, and stay positive and organized. Also, seek medical care from a PCP or therapist and consider recommended therapies.

[jesslahti future LVN]

hi ella,

i’m worried that i’ll mess up medications because i get really into my head. even today i was trying not to cry in skills lab and it’s really embarrassing. a cna has less responsibilities so there’s less risk, i want to do what’s best for the patient.

my source is my upbringing, my parents were and still are verbally abusive and plain mean.

i’ve tried therapy twice now, a total of a year and a half. ? zoloft too. i just don’t know, i barely want to be alive.

thank you for responding!

[Ella26, BSN, RN]

I’m sorry that you have had to endure such a terrible upbringing. I know some days are hard and you think it would be easier if you weren’t here. I’ve been there. I get it. Continue to go to therapy and make sure your doctors are aware of those thoughts.

I completely understand your point. Being a nurse does have a lot more responsibility than a CNA.

I had those exact same thoughts. “Am I smart enough to be a nurse?” “what if I make a mistake and someone is gravely injured?” “Did I forget to give that Med?” The list went on...

But, I also didn’t want to live with regret. And never have known my potential.

So....I went for it! I did CNA>LPN>RN>BSN... I achieved my goals and it feels good!

I too and am Zoloft and was seeing a therapist for 2 years. Don’t let anxiety and depression limit your SUCCESS!!!!!

You can do this...

[SchoolNurseJen, BSN, RN]

How do your symptoms present for you? Are you receiving treatment?

[jesslahti future LVN]

Just now, SchoolNurseJen said:

How do your symptoms present for you? Are you receiving treatment?

jen,

i've always struggled to get out of bed unless i absolutely had to, i usually want to sleep as long as possible and basically be unconscious. i also try not to cry often, in public and in class. not showering or taking care of myself. i've wanted to crash my car & have attempted suicide technically. i was very drunk and took a lot of melatonin. etc.

so i'm like...if i'm a mess, who gives me the right to work with vulnerable people? would i even get licensed with these conditions? a teacher told us we have to be "normal" to be a nurse.

thank you.

7 minutes ago, Ella26 said:

I’m sorry that you have had to endure such a terrible upbringing. I know some days are hard and you think it would be easier if you weren’t here. I’ve been there. I get it. Continue to go to therapy and make sure your doctors are aware of those thoughts.

I completely understand your point. Being a nurse does have a lot more responsibility than a CNA.

I had those exact same thoughts. “Am I smart enough to be a nurse?” “what if I make a mistake and someone is gravely injured?” “Did I forget to give that Med?” The list went on...

But, I also didn’t want to live with regret. And never have known my potential.

So....I went for it! I did CNA>LPN>RN>BSN... I achieved my goals and it feels good!

I too and am Zoloft and was seeing a therapist for 2 years. Don’t let anxiety and depression limit your SUCCESS!!!!!

You can do this...

thank you for sharing ❤️ i'm sure it's a strength!

[Ella26, BSN, RN]

Quote

i've always struggled to get out of bed unless i absolutely had to, i usually want to sleep as long as possible and basically be unconscious. i also try not to cry often, in public and in class. not showering or taking care of myself. i've wanted to crash my car & have attempted suicide technically. i was very drunk and took a lot of melatonin. etc.

so i'm like...if i'm a mess, who gives me the right to work with vulnerable people? would i even get licensed with these conditions? a teacher told us we have to be "normal" to be a nurse.

I'm sorry you are having a rough go! Hang in there, you do have a lot going on right now...

You’re right to be thinking that you might not be able to handle it. I commend you for that.

How much longer do you have for LPN?

Perhaps you’re right in doing CNA first or just until you can get your mental health stabilized. Nursing school is extremely grueling as you have realized. It can break you if your vulnerable.

[jesslahti future LVN]

i have until august 2020.

i've had these conditions for so long and they haven't gone away...

[RNNPICU, BSN, RN]

If you are doing well in school, as you stated, why quit? There is no reason to. As for anxiety during med passes, only you can control that. Ask yourself, if I have checked the 5 rights and cleared it with my instructor and the nurse... then it is a go.

Do you just randomly find a med and give it to any patient you see? Do you just randomly decide to give meds at any time it pleases you, just for your convenience? If the answer to these questions is no, just take a deep breath, look up the med the patient is on, think about why you are giving the med to your patient, and give it with your instructor or assigned nurse. Nursing school is hard, it is supposed to be, you will eventually establish a routine be familiar with common meds in your area and ultimately feel like you can give meds without anxiety.

Just an FYI, I started as a new grad in the ICU, it took me over a year before I felt like I understood most meds and didn't have to look up every single med each time. I still calculate antibiotics and others that are kg based meds, it just becomes part of practice.

However, if you are paralyzed with fear, and cannot function doing an assessment or even pass a multivitamin, then maybe think about becoming a CNA or another field because these are the basic essentials of a nurse. As you have said, you are doing well, a nursing instructor does not tolerate anyone or any behavior that would put a patient a risk. Only you can answer the question if you cannot imagine yourself a nurse and caring for patients.

[jesslahti future LVN]

yeah you're right, we have 7 rights now even!

i mean i'm doing well because my school has been holding our hands through the tests and such. (study guides, giving us a lot of leeway for check offs)

skill check offs, man i am a wreck. today we did trache care and i froze. that's just a mannequin with my very nice instructor!

i mean i've wanted to be a nurse for years now. i absolutely LOVE helping someone out whether it's bringing them water, dressing change, getting dressed, or making them laugh. i feel alive! but that's what cnas do....i also don't want to have a life regret by dropping out. ugh....no pressure lol.

[RNNPICU, BSN, RN]

So.... talk out what caused you to be a wreck today.

What made you freeze. Seriously, talk it out and tell us what caused you to freeze and what you are going to do differently next time. Keep in mind, parents and family members are often taught these skills, so always think about how are you going to teach a scared parent or family member.

You practice these skills on a mannequin for a reason.

[jesslahti future LVN]

good question...every skills check off we do i freak out. fast heart rate, sweaty hands, and i forget the ati videos entirely, no matter how many times i watched them. i saw the trache on the mannequin but felt uncomfortable actually playing with it because i thought the cannula was already out? i don't even know. i just stared at that damn thing like "??????"

i sped through the catheter one and missed things according to my instructor. i can't even apply sterile gloves on 100% correctly. or comfortably take bp! ?

as for next time, i really don't know. ? yeah, i have to do patient education and have to be very confident! lord help me.