Getting over being nervous

[Little Panda RN, ASN, RN]

How do you get over being nervous. I am new to pysch and today I was very nervous. I dont think I showed it, but I sure felt it. How do you deal with those pts who are at the time very psychotic. Of course there is no reasoning with them because of their state of mind.

This type of pt makes me very nervous. They swear, threaten to kill you, spit on things and do things that are completely the other side of normal. I am not sure how to handle it. I dont even want to go near the room, but of course I do.

Is it normal to feel this way? Maybe I am not cut out for psych. I like my job and adore the people I work with. My co-workers are awesome they dont seem to be nervous at all, when something happens they are the first ones in the room. Why do I feel this way. Why cant I be more like them?

Today I felt like I had no backbone. That is just not me. I felt out of my comfort zone. I know I am just babbling here, but it was a very stressful day.

Thanks for listening.

[Little Panda RN, ASN, RN]

Hopefully someone will offer some tips on this subject! I really like this job, but I need to get over being nervous. Yesterday was really the first time that I felt very nervous on the job. Now that feeling is staying with me. How do I shake this?

If you have ever been nervous, what did you do to feel better? I am at a loss here. I know I need to reprogram my thinking, but where do I start?

Anyone!

[Meraki]

It's okay to be nervous...it's your first day on the job!

let yourself be nervous and just do a lot of observing. Each time you deal with a psychotic patient you will feel less nervous and in a while you will realize you feel a lot more comfortable. Spend time interacting with the psychotic patients when they aren't in a crisis to increase your comfort. Don't be afraid to say no to an assignment you aren't comfortable with for now and have someone come with you if you aren't sure you can handle the situation. As much as psychotic patients are unpredictable you will start to see signs and gestures and behaviours that let you predict and assess where they are at.

Good luck and remember everyone there was as nervous as you at one point!

[Little Panda RN, ASN, RN]

It's okay to be nervous...it's your first day on the job!

let yourself be nervous and just do a lot of observing. Each time you deal with a psychotic patient you will feel less nervous and in a while you will realize you feel a lot more comfortable. Spend time interacting with the psychotic patients when they aren't in a crisis to increase your comfort. Don't be afraid to say no to an assignment you aren't comfortable with for now and have someone come with you if you aren't sure you can handle the situation. As much as psychotic patients are unpredictable you will start to see signs and gestures and behaviours that let you predict and assess where they are at.

Good luck and remember everyone there was as nervous as you at one point!

Thank you so very very much for your reply. Yesterday was my second day on my own and we were scheduled to get a pt in that has lost all sense of reality as you could say. The things the pt was reported as doing is frightening to say the least.

I just wish I felt comftorable dealing with it. I am sure in time, so wish me luck in the mean time.

[wonderbee, BSN, RN]

Being nerveous (or frightened) is the correct response in many of the situations we face. If we didn't, we would risk injury to ourselves and our patients.

[Little Panda RN, ASN, RN]

Being nerveous (or frightened) is the correct response in many of the situations we face. If we didn't, we would risk injury to ourselves and our patients.

Yes you are correct RNKittyKat, being nervous can be a good thing. I just dont want to be too nervous.

I think I understand why I have been getting nervous. I think I am transferring how I feel about one of my brothers to my work enviornment. My oldest brother has alot of mental problems and I would say is psychotic most the time, living on the edge of reality. Well he makes me nervous because he is unstable and I have always had this horrible thought that he could kill all of us.

So anyways, I am taking how I feel towards him and transferring this to any mentally unstable adult male.

I need to work on this and I will.

[wonderbee, BSN, RN]

Of course. I can relate. Some patients bring up stuff in me too. It can set the tone for the whole day. Hard to shake it off.

[Little Panda RN, ASN, RN]

Of course. I can relate. Some patients bring up stuff in me too. It can set the tone for the whole day. Hard to shake it off.

Completely agree!!!!

Oh by the way how is the new job going?

[iwanna]

I worked in a psych hospital for four years. I must confess that I absolutely hated it at first. I would sit in the parking lot with knots in my stomach. I dreaded opening up the door to start an 8 hr. day. I was looking for a new job, right after I started. It was such a culture shock. The children and adolescents unit petrified me. And, I felt like I was so incompetent. I saw other people at ease with this job, and what was wrong with me? Eventually, that awful feeling left me, and I felt more confident in dealing with these patients. You are new to the field. I learned by observing others. Trust me, it gets easier. Hang in there!

[Little Panda RN, ASN, RN]

I worked in a psych hospital for four years. I must confess that I absolutely hated it at first. I would sit in the parking lot with knots in my stomach. I dreaded opening up the door to start an 8 hr. day. I was looking for a new job, right after I started. It was such a culture shock. The children and adolescents unit petrified me. And, I felt like I was so incompetent. I saw other people at ease with this job, and what was wrong with me? Eventually, that awful feeling left me, and I felt more confident in dealing with these patients. You are new to the field. I learned by observing others. Trust me, it gets easier. Hang in there!

I can so relate. I do like the job and my co-workers are awesome. I just feel like I am putting on an act, believing that I can do this job. I do wish I felt as comftorable as my co-workers do. They keep telling me in time, just like you mentioned. I am going to hang in there for now, hoping amongst hopes I get used to it.

Thanks for the reply! I love hearing from everyone.

[aloevera]

Observe how the seasoned nurses handle some of the pts. that make you quiver....that helped me a lot in the beginning.....even after years in psyche, I still run across pts. that make me nervous, there is always that chance for violence and that is in the back of my mind still...

Hang in there, you will adapt and watch the good ones!!!

Always spend time with the pts. when you can, when they are somewhat focused and you can talk to them....

[Little Panda RN, ASN, RN]

Observe how the seasoned nurses handle some of the pts. that make you quiver....that helped me a lot in the beginning.....even after years in psyche, I still run across pts. that make me nervous, there is always that chance for violence and that is in the back of my mind still...

Hang in there, you will adapt and watch the good ones!!!

Always spend time with the pts. when you can, when they are somewhat focused and you can talk to them....

aloevera thanks for the advice. Can you tell me does it get any easier? I feel so unprepared to deal with some of the patients. I just wish I would have had more time to shadow.