Help! New nurse with anxiety about going to work

[Babynurse1993]

I graduated May of '15 with my BSN, had my baby in August and then took and passed my boards in January. I've been a stay at home mom for the last nine months and because it's been a year since I've graduated I've decided soon I need to start looking for a job but I am terrified! I had anxiety in college because of the course load (who didn't) lol. Anyway after school I was fine but now that I'm even thinking about apply for jobs in a nervous wreck. Even in nursing school I never felt like a confident nurse. It takes me several times to really catch onto things so I feel like I'm not where I should be. I know it's normal to be nervous but is it normal to feel like you don't know anything? To feel under qualified?! Like all I can think is do I really need to know every ADR for every drug? What if I'm in a rush and don't have time to look up if this drug interacts with this one? What if I can't remember what ever single drug treats? Pharm was my absolute worst class and I'm currently trying to learn my meds again but it's so overwhelming. Please any advice, stories of 'I was in your shoes but now I can be a nurse in my sleep' stories would help. Failure and the anxiety a new job may/will bring is so strong that I've contemplated a new career path but I worked really hard to get here and it's a great career and stability for my family.

[Oh'Ello, BSN, RN]

Ok. Step 1. Chill

If every nurse had to know everything about medicine and nursing and pharmacology to be competent, this forum would not exist..because there would not be any nurses.

Step 2. Get interested

What interests you? What kind of nursing would you want to do? Have you had a dream job? Is there anything you're good at? Do you feel compelled to do any particular kind of nursing? I think identifying what your interests and wants are will help you quell some anxiety. Contact a nursing recruiter and ask if they can set you up with some shadow dates, so you can see different units and find out where you might feel comfortable.

Step 3. Chill

Everyone sucks at nursing when they start. Damned near everyone is an anxious mess at time during orientation. You're successfully keeping a newborn baby alive, You can probably handle a myriad of patient care situations.

Step 4. Praise yourself

YOU GRADUATED FROM NURSING SCHOOL...PREGNANT, BIRTHED A HUMAN AND THEN PASSED THE BOARDS. That right there is freaking anxiety inducing for me. Nursing is a piece of cake compared to that scenario. You're tackling something right now that a lot of people couldn't handle. Just because you're anxious and professional nursing is new for you, LOOK AT ALL THE NEW STUFF YOU JUST DID. Slay.

Step 5. Apply yourself

Apply for jobs. All. Kinds. Of. Jobs. Put yourself out there and get some interviews under your belt. Wash the baby puke out yo hair, slip on some pumps and start talking adult stuff with adult people. The more interview practice you get, they easier they get and the better you get at them.

Step 6. Open Up and Reach out

Use your resources. Friends you went to school with, instructors from school, nursing recruiters. Let them know about your situation with the behbeh and why you took time off. Network and try to get your feet in doors.

Now get up offa that thang and get yoself a job girl!

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

Excellent advice from Oh'Ello. Heck no, I don't remember every ADR or compatibility, and I got an A in pharm. There's a reason those doctoral-degreed pharmacists are required to verify meds before we can give them. I know IV compatibilities for drugs I give a lot, e.g. fentanyl and propofol (I'm an ICU nurse). Otherwise I look it up before deciding what to infuse where. You'll get a handle on the nursing considerations for the drugs you give a lot.

Since it's been the better part of a year, it might help to review an NCLEX book. Trying to cram an entire pharm class back in is going to be overwhelming.

I was only off 3 months after my last baby, but it was a new job. I delivered him exactly 4 months after my start date. The couple weeks before returning, I had some moments of terror. This is what I told myself: "You're a nurse. You know how to keep their vitals in range, you know how to keep them comfortable, you know how to prevent infections, you remember how to start BLS and call for help. Everything else will come back. You've got this."

You've got this.

[Maevish, ASN, RN]

CHILL OUT!!

You can't tell, but I was typing that while smiling and it wasn't meant to be mean in any way. You're bloody normal is what you are! Jesus, I was nauseated for a good 4 months after I got my first job (and my cousin, who went into PICU right out of school said it lasted a year for him!) and for good reason. You're in charge of someone's life. That being said, don't think about that part of it too much or you'll lose your marbles before you even know how many you have:cheeky:.

Firstly, know that nursing school has only prepared you to know enough to not kill someone (if you're smart and ask loads of questions that shouldn't ever be an issue) so that's that.

Then, find something else you like to do to relax and do it often. It can be something as low key as taking a walk with your baby or having a designated movie night with a friend or S/O.

Get an NCLEX book (look around to ask people which ones they preferred (maybe in the new nurse forum?) because I didn't use one and even if I had, it's been WAY too long since I did my exam. Make a set time to study (if you can do so with childcare, nap time, etc) and give it your all for that specific amount of time. Don't stress about it outside of that time period if you can help it.

I hadn't gotten to do a lot in nursing school (never put in a foley until I was a nurse for a couple months) and I always talk myself down. I, like you, need multiple times to learn something, but if I use it, it sticks with me. If I write things down that really helps as well. I assume that if I can do this job it "must not be that hard" because I don't think I'm that smart. I'm working on it, though, because that attitude doesn't do me any service and you'r sounding like you are in the same boat as me in that way.

Easy does it, lady. You'll be fine if you don't psych yourself out too much (which is very easy for some of us to do haha).

Good luck!

xo