Does it get better?

I am in the second year of my RN ADN program. I have recently been having severe anxiety/ feelings of helplessness in relation to my role as a nurse. I am having doubts if I can handle the sadness and emotional strain when I'm out in the real worldcaring for patients.

I feel like I'm leaving my clinical setting with an emotional burden. I can't shake it. It is carrying over into my home life, it's affecting school and I feel like it may be progressing into depression.

Prior to beginning this program I worked hospice (non-clinical). In the 5 years I worked for hospice, I never had anxiety or this terrible helpless feeling when working with the patients.

I spoke with a family member and she basically told me that I can't save the world and trying is just going to lead to burn out. Her advice was to "suck it up and just finish, you'll feel better when it's done."

I brought this up to members of my clinical group, but no one else expressed similar feelings.

I love nursing, but I don't think I can cope with feeling like this about work.

So.... I guess my question is: does it get better? Am I suited to this?

Did anyone else feel like this while in school, but it got better?