Full of anxiety after a year of nursing experience

[Newbie<3]

Hello everyone. I am new to this site, been reading on here for a couple of weeks. I desperately need some advice! I have been a nurse for over a year and am still having a lot of stress/anxiety that I was told would "go away after a year of experience." I am now on my third job in a hospital setting and am wondering if nursing is not for me. I have a hx of mental illness in my family and I really think nursing is going to push me over the edge. I have been depressed for two months and am considering seeing a psychiatrist or something. I have tried office nursing and was stressed, now i'm back to hospital nursing and i'm stressed....so i really don't know what to do. Part of the stress/anxiety is due to hopping from job to job (not my choice, moved etc.) and the other part is due to moving to a new state w/o family support, my husband being gone all the time, hx of anxiety disorders in family etc. But i truly feel that the majority of the stress in my life is caused by NURSING! The sad thing is that I know I am capable and my heart is in the right place, I just feel like I can not do this emotionally. I also don't want to quit my job right now being that I am not even off orientation and I haven't given this unit anything in return for all they've done for me. But deep down, I do not want to stay and I'm crying everyday. Another thing, is that I am anxious because although while on orientation the patients aren't "yours" per se, I know they will be mine soon enough and I've been there w/ two other jobs and the stress is too much! So I've pretty much decided to quit this job (can't handle it emotionally) but i really don't know what other job to do. I am sick of going from job to job and being unhappy. i know i have to get this anxiety under control or nothing will ever work out. The whole situation is complicated. But I feel like I've done my best and have given nursing a fair shot. I'm beginning to wonder if maybe it is not nursing, it's me! Any thoughts, suggestions, advice would be appreciated! I've already talked to everyone in my family a million times and still don't know what to do! And of course my poor husband is soo worried!

[Charon]

The wonderful thing about nursing is that there are so many fields that you can go into that don't necessarily stress you out like the office and the unit that you mentioned. OR nursing is an option to consider as well as community nursing. Check out these fields before you give up on nursing all together. The depression is a serious problem and one that you should definately see your primary about; nurses don't just dispense drugs, we take them too. We are not all perfect and imperfection within ourselves gives us the ability to empathize with our patients.

[traumajay]

Hello everyone. I am new to this site been reading on here for a couple of weeks. I desperately need some advice! I have been a nurse for over a year and am still having a lot of stress/anxiety that I was told would "go away after a year of experience." I am now on my third job in a hospital setting and am wondering if nursing is not for me. I have a hx of mental illness in my family and I really think nursing is going to push me over the edge. I have been depressed for two months and am considering seeing a psychiatrist or something. I have tried office nursing and was stressed, now i'm back to hospital nursing and i'm stressed....so i really don't know what to do. Part of the stress/anxiety is due to hopping from job to job (not my choice, moved etc.) and the other part is due to moving to a new state w/o family support, my husband being gone all the time, hx of anxiety disorders in family etc. But i truly feel that the majority of the stress in my life is caused by NURSING! The sad thing is that I know I am capable and my heart is in the right place, I just feel like I can not do this emotionally. I also don't want to quit my job right now being that I am not even off orientation and I haven't given this unit anything in return for all they've done for me. But deep down, I do not want to stay and I'm crying everyday. Another thing, is that I am anxious because although while on orientation the patients aren't "yours" per se, I know they will be mine soon enough and I've been there w/ two other jobs and the stress is too much! So I've pretty much decided to quit this job (can't handle it emotionally) but i really don't know what other job to do. I am sick of going from job to job and being unhappy. i know i have to get this anxiety under control or nothing will ever work out. The whole situation is complicated. But I feel like I've done my best and have given nursing a fair shot. I'm beginning to wonder if maybe it is not nursing, it's me! Any thoughts, suggestions, advice would be appreciated! I've already talked to everyone in my family a million times and still don't know what to do! And of course my poor husband is soo worried! [/quote']

I think that a lot of your problem in the field of nursing is staying somewhere for a year. You really havent gotten that first year of nursing in, because youve switched jobs 3 times. I was very very nervous when i would come to work, and clock in. I had a lot of anxiety too, the first year and a half. I think what really helped me was staying in one place for a while, getting some friendships built, and facing my fears. Also, when something got to me really bad i just prayed about it and let it go. Because my comfort also came from that after 7 i get to go home, i dont have to take anything from work home with me. Another thing that seemed to REALLY help me was challenging myself in a particular unit. Im now in the Trauma ER at my hospital, ive got several certifications (ACLS, PALS, TNCC) behind me and have used them. That gives you confidence that your ready for that "bad" event if and when it ever happens. Maybe a MD can help you out with a mild to moderate anti anxiety medication. I know my mother takes one and im blank on the name right now and she basically doesnt care about things anymore that caused her stress. which when given the alternative is awesome. if i remember the name ill re post. anyways, your not alone in having stress and anxiety about work. Its dealing with stressful situations so of course its going to be stressful itself. keep your head up, and find a good place to work with good people. it will get better!

[jlcole45]

I agree with The Commuter - seek out help. If you think you need help - then you need it!

From what you've described the issue is an internal one and not one solely caused by nursing. By changing jobs, again, you will probably not fix the problem and you might make it worse. Don't give up on your nursing career yet as there are so many options out there. That said, you might reach a point where you have to take a break.

But the first thing you must do is get to the bottom of your feelings of anxiety and depression. So go to counseling. Your employer most likely has an employee assistance program that is 100% confidential. It will be either free or very affordable, it is a benefit so please use it.

Please make an appointment ASAP to speak to someone.

God Bless and hang in there.

[shortlittleRN]

Wow! I didn't realize many of us have the same issue. Like some, my anxiety started with nursing school. I don't have it all the time but since I started working, the anxiety is occurring more often. It literally paralyzes me. I can't think, I can't remember anything during my orientation. The fear of making mistakes overpowers me and my brain shuts down.

I'm a recent new grad and after 2 months of orienting in an SICU unit, I resigned. Now I have this constant fear that I'll never be able to perform as a nurse. Funny thing is, I didn't have this problem during clinicals in school. I started taking my welbutrin again. I hope it kicks in soon.