Feeling sick/nausea/panic attacks before my shift...please help!!

Lucky0220 · Jun 22, 2009

Sorry to hear this, what type of nursing were you doing prior to starting this new job?

JB2007, ASN, RN · Jun 22, 2009

Yes, I have been where you are now. I changed jobs and it did not help, so I went to the doctor to get some assistance. I would suggest that you go to your doctor and let him/her know what your sx are currently. He/she maybe able to help you. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

liladybug526, RN · Jun 22, 2009

I am so sorry to hear that you are going through this! I can totally relate because I suffer from anxiety and panic attacks too. The best advice I can give you is to schedule an appointment with your doctor. There are many prescription medications that can help you with this problem. I don't think that quitting your job is the answer. There is no reason to live your life feeling this way. I hope everything works out ok!

marilynmom, LPN, NP · Jun 22, 2009

I know how you feel. I went to the Dr and she prescribed me a medication (which helped for awhile and then stopped working) and also my BP was quite elevated from the stress, I was also having diarrhea, nausea, and the stress was affecting me even on my days off.....I was just at the point where I was not coping at all, the anxiety was chronic. I finally just decided that hospital nursing was not for me and switched to a laid back psych unit and I love it! I no longer have the stress, my BP is back to normal, I have an easy job plus I'm getting paid more.

To my when my job was affecting my health it just wasn't worth it anymore. Good luck :)

Moogie · Jun 22, 2009

If you have an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) you might be able to get some help for your anxiety or a referral to a therapist who can work with you. I agree with the previous poster who suggested you go to your health care provider. Your heightened anxiety might be a symptom of something else going on with your body.

You might also want to start exploring other job opportunities that might not be so stressful. What do you find most difficult about your situation? Is it the hours? You mentioned the responsibility---do you supervise a lot of staff or do you have patients who have high acuity? Do other co-workers seem negative, stressed or burned out? Maybe eight hour shifts---not overnights---or a different specialty---might make differences in how you feel.

Also, do peruse the posts on this forum. When I joined, I was experiencing severe anxiety over some work situations and it has helped me tremendously to find out that I was far from alone.

Please take care!

blondeoverboard · Jun 22, 2009

prior to leaving my last position i had a daily headache. it started when i opened my eyes in the morning and was in full swing my the time i hit the time clock. i was nauseated most of the time and boiling over with rage that i took home with me. i was nasty to everyone i came in contact with. i loved what i was doing but hated the place i was doing it and the people i was doing it with. i kept at it because i didn't want to look like a failure, though i realize now i was the only one making that judgement. i considered going on medication to control my anger but thought the better of it. for me, no job should drive you to any sort of drug.. prescribed or otherwise. the day i decided to leave, the headaches went away. in almost 2 years time, i haven't had one since. no job is worth risking your health over. there are so many ways to do nursing perhaps there's another way out there in which you'd find more fulfillment without the stress.

ljb2584 · Jun 22, 2009

i usually have 6-7 patients, which is tough sometimes. A lot of the people I work with are moody and have terrible attitudes. I have always been overly sensitive, so I take everything personal. So i tend to dwell on things that i probably shouldnt. I like working nights because I think that overall its the least stressful shift. I have worked day shift and theres just too much going on. and I like the 12's because I like only having to be at work 3 days a week. I am definitely gonna go talk with my doctor asap. thanks so much for your advice.

rn/writer, RN · Jun 22, 2009

See if your facility has an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) where you can find confidential help in dealing with the stressors in your life. EAPs offer counseling, usually at no or very low cost, that can help you sort out the questions and then assist you in looking for answers. What you discuss with them is kept private. They are not allowed to divulge your issues to your employer. If you need more help than they can provide, they are usually able to make referrals.

Putting your thoughts into words with a compassionate listener is a good first step in making whatever changes are necessary for you to improve your situation. It may be that there are things you can do to feel better enough to stay in your current job. Or you may see that you need to look elsewhere--another unit or facility. Either way, it helps to have a trained counselor help you identify the primary problems, the secondary issues that may result, and the best and most efficient way to meet your own needs. Even if there are no easy answers, many people feel better just getting it all out on the table and taking a good hard look.

You can also try journaling before and after a shift and see if you can identify what in particular has you flummoxed. Co-workers? Patient load? Fear of making a serious mistake? You might be surprised at what you find out. If you see an EAP counselor, you'll be able to share this information with them and maybe hasten a good outcome.

I hope you are able to find some answers. It isn't any fun feeling so bad.

I wish you the best.

Addendum: It isn't a bad idea to speak with your health care provider, but medical solutions are just one possibility. You spoke of taking things personally that perhaps you shouldn't. There are techniques and ideas that you can learn (a counselor can guide you in this area) that could help greatly with this kind of emotion struggle and give you better coping skills in every area of your life. I highly recommend contacting your EAP, if one is available.

StNeotser, ASN, RN · Jun 22, 2009

Before you go running to your doctor for prescriptions, please ask to be referred to a therapist first that specializes in anxiety. Your insurance should cover most of the costs.

roser13, ASN, RN · Jun 22, 2009

I have been where you are. I second all of the above suggestions but I wouldn't hesitate to advise you to go for broke at first.....look into EAP for counselling assistance, plus see your PCP for short-term med relief. There is nothing wrong with attacking the problem from all sides, then re-evaluating later from a more comfortable, less stressed position.

I had my first anxiety attack on my Med/Surg floor. In retrospect, it had been getting harder and harder to come to work and I had been using alot of positive thinking/self-talking on the commute in. When I finally came to terms with what was going on, I took a 2-week leave of absence, visited the EAP counsellor (incredible experience - I still use many of her coping methods), got on an anti-depressant and went back to work. I did eventually leave that floor and found a position that was more comfortable and less-anxiety producing for me, but to this day I believe that it was important to my healing that I stuck it out (albeit with help) for a while.

I will always have anxiety with new situations (I believe it's in my DNA:D) but I also now know that (a) I'm not the only one who feels the stress, (b) it's not the end of the world or even the end of my world, © I have always managed to cope and have never once neglected my patients, and © there is help available from many sources. Just knowing those things helps tremendously.

Hang in there. Take some positive steps and you can soon feel better, more in control, and less anxious.

DolceVita, ADN, BSN, RN · Jun 22, 2009

You have had some great advice. I had a job once where I use to have to stop on the subway get off and put my head between my legs -- it was dreadful. In my case it wasn't the stress of the job (although it was stressful) it was that two on my colleagues were harassing me.

Funny thing was that I couldn't put two and two together until my best friend pointed out they were related. I was in a bit of denial about my colleagues behavior.

So I put it out there...that if you haven't experienced this before it probably hasn't come out of thin air.

Doctor is the best idea. After I left that job I did cognitive behavioral therapy -- it was great.

I am sorry you are having such a tough time. I hope you have someone close you can share this with.