Help!

[RB1215]

So I have been reading everyone else's posts about how new grads feel coming into nursing and decided to write my own. I am a new grad that is currently working on a labor and delivery unit. I am still in orientation and have another month in orientation, but I currently feel very anxious and uneasy about my job. (I just try to imagine how I will feel once I'm on my own.) I cry almost every day and even more so on my days off. I can't enjoy my days off because I am dreading and counting down the days until I have to go back. I have told my preceptor and supervisor this and they both told me that is completely normal. I love my coworkers and the environment isn't toxic but I just don't know how much longer I will be able to sustain this type of stressful lifestyle. I am struggling to know whether this stress is a normal thing and will go away or if this specialty isn't for me and I need to switch departments. I am also worried that switching departments may look bad on my résumé and no one will want to hire me. I currently feel stuck in my situation and I'm not sure how to fix it. Does anyone have any advice for me?

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

Yes. Do everything you can to stay where you are for a while longer. It IS normal to feel the way you do---nursing as a new grad is very stressful and you can't expect to feel comfortable until you've been at it for at least a year or two. However...I think you should also find a way to cope with the anxiety you're experiencing. You might consider talking to a counselor or therapist, try meditation or yoga and/or mindfulness techniques, and eat a healthful diet. There is also medication that can be used on a short-term basis to help you get through the worst of it, if you feel the need and your doctor agrees. But whatever you do, know that almost every new nurse goes through a difficult adjustment period, and if they don't, they're not doing it right.

Hang in there. Better days are coming.

[NV Nurse]

I remember those days... Now 6.5 years in, they seem like a bad dream. I started in critical care and many days I'd go home, cry, pray I did not harm anyone... As you gain knowledge and confidence it gets easier.

Best advice I can give is stick with it and if possible, find an experienced co-worker, who you respect, and tell them how you are doing. Having a mentor at work was so helpful!

Good luck! It does get better!

[Nibbles1]

I used to throw up before every shift. This is normal. Don't give up.