Anxiety before work

Nurses General Nursing

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Do any of you guys have this problem? On my first night back on, I feel this overwhelming anxiety and depression before I go into work. Once I'm there, I'm kind of ok. But I hate this feeling. The following nights after the first night are a little better, but I still feel anxious and uncomfortable. I'm a travel nurse and don't really have friends at work, so may be that has something to do with it, but I remember feeling this way even when I was a staff nurse at my old hospital, maybe not as intense.

Anyway do you guys ever feel super anxious and depressed before going into work and what do you do to alleviate this? I work nights on a busy high-acuity cardiothoracic unit with very sick patients. Sigh.

I've experienced the same thing, although I'm an aide. I went to therapy although not for this but it helped. Now I have no anxiety before work. I still feel the dread but I'm fine once I hit the floor. I work weekend option and on Friday's I start watching the clock. 12 hours before my shift starts, 11 hours before it starts.

From these posts, it sounds like you're not alone. Why not strike up a conversation at work? Ask a coworker about family, husbands, where they went to school, etc. Keep talking and then ask if they want to decompress after work one day. Go out for a drink, coffee, food. If you're new to the area ask where a good place to get a haircut is, oil changed, tires rotated, etc.

It does work. I work with my best friends.

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Specializes in Emergency.

I've been an ER RN for just over 4 years now and I still have this feeling the night before and on my way to work. I can't quite put my finger on it. I love my job. I really like the people I work with. I'm also a traveler, but I can remember feeling this way as a staff nurse also.

I don't have alot of advice for you..........I TRY really hard to sleep before my first night on. Then I definitely make time for starbucks or smoothie king before going to work. I try to listen to my favorite music on the way to work.

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Specializes in Day Surgery, Agency, Cath Lab, LTC/Psych.

I can totally relate. As an agency nurse I am floated, pulled to other units, don't know anybody etc, etc. I have been so stressed out before work before that I have cried for almost an hour. :o The thing that helps me the most is to take about 30 minutes and sit in a quiet room with a cup of tea. I usually pray, deep breathe and think through my day. The bottom line issue for me is fear that something really bad will happen at work. If you can address your underlying fears (death of a patient, codes, med errors, short staffing, etc) then you may feel less stressed out. Remember, as nurses we think we have to be perfect...we are just not. We are only human. If you do the best you can at your job you have done a good job.

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Specializes in ICU, M/S,Nurse Supervisor, CNS.

I've had this same problem before. It was while I was working on a busy post surgical floor where patient turnover was high. I finally got over this by going prn at this job and getting a full-time job at another hospital in the intensive care unit instead. The change of specialty worked wonders, but I still got the anxiety whenever I went back to work shifts at this first hospital. It got so that I had sever abdominal pain on the way to work, but it would dissipate usually after report. I finally just had to let that job go altogether. I loved my co-workers there, but it just was not worth my health to continue there.

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Specializes in LTC, Sub-acute, correctional.

I used to get this all the time, especially in one LTC where I just didn't feel like anyone had my back and I was truly all alone. My trick was to force myself to picture what I was afraid was going to happen (like a patient coding or falling and getting really hurt) and I would mentally go through the steps in my head of what I would do if that happened, kind of to prove to myself that I did know what to do in that scenario. It calmed me down to think logically and know I could rely on myself, if nobody else would help me. Usually nothing much happened and I was so busy all day that the shift was over in the blink of an eye. The other anxiety-busting exercise I would do sometimes is think of a particular patient that I knew I was going to be taking care of that day, and look forward to their welcoming smile when I walked onto the floor. Once I saw that patient, I felt like I was ready to handle whatever came my way, like if they were so happy to see me, I must be doing something right!!!!!

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I feel the same way. I get really nervous, sometimes nauseous before I go in to work. I have been chalking it up to being a new grad. I feel it more the night before. I work days and often have a hard time falling asleep when I have to work the next day.

I haven't found anything to help with the problem. But one morning I was called in and I found I didn't have time to get nervous!

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Specializes in Rehab, Med Surg, Home Care.

Yes big problem with this my first few months as a nurse, first few times doing charge and again first few weeks in new job until I nailed my routine for the first hour or so meeting/ assessing my new patients.

Getting a set routine down for the beginning of the day helped immensely. And a little carrot-on-a-stick trick I use to sweeten the prospect of heading out the door is I always have an audiobook to listen to in the car on my drive to work so I look forward to the drive in instead of feeling nervous. I'll always feel some anxiety when I walk in the door initially but I know it passes quickly now so it's very manageable.

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I've been working at my current hospital for almost a year now and I still get anxious before work. I used to do day/night rotation, and working days...made me soooo anxious. I switched to permanent nights and I don't get as anxious but I still do..I guess it's fear of the "unknown." Compared to when I first started as a fresh new grad..the anxiety isn't as bad...but it is still there.

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I'm in my 12th week of nursing and feel anxiety for about 24 hours before going to work. I work on a tele floor.

The anxiety basically ruins my day. I just keep hoping that it will start to let up with each week that passes. I feel better after I have met my patients for the shift, but I still feel anxiety when I think I'm going to get an admit during the shift. For me, it's about the unknown or the unexpected. I don't like the feeling and have seriously thought about quitting my job because of it. So far, I have been able to force myself to go each shift.

The main thing that keeps me going at this point is that as a new nurse, it would be difficult for me to find another job if I quit this one so soon. In the meantime, I keep looking for another job that I think that I would actually like.

It helps me to know that other people also get so anxious going to work.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, Oncology, Rehab, LTAC.

The night before work I try to find something on tv that doesn't require much thought or a good book I can escape into. Then, before I go to work I pray, take a deep breath and make the conscious decision that I can handle whatever comes my way. :rckn:

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Specializes in Acute Care Cardiac, Education, Prof Practice.

Yep. I make my first back to work day a "relax priority". I watch TV, catch up on a little nap, and leave early so I have lots of time with my papers before the shift. That makes it golden for me.

Deep breaths and good routine seem to be key.

Tait

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