Does it get better?

[Sawahfwend]

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?

[pro-student]

Some level of concern about specific cases or apprehension about taking on a new role is normal but crippling anxiety about your general role as a student/future nurse is not. I would strongly recommend you talk to a professional about how you are feeling. A therapist can help you deal with anxiety and moderate your expectations about what you can and cannot provide patients and families.

Anxiety over role strain will improve with experience, time, and education. But it doesn't sounds like your issue. Given that you're a student, your obligation to the patient/family will never be lower and the amount of support and backup will never be higher. It sounds more like you're having existential issues about wanting to fix things/people that are beyond your control. This is not something that will go away but something that you can learn to put into perspective. A professional and/or mentor is a good start. Best of luck!