I see these posts where people complain of anxiety. Crying before work, crying during work, dreading going into the hospital.
I'm just thankful that I'm not the patient. I split my weeks into what I want to accomplish. One week, it was to ensure that I checked the orders every half an hour. The next week, it was that I's and O's were okay. Focusing on one item at a time allowed me some mastery over it. Granted, it was during my orientation, but I've built on that, and I don't look at work as something to be dreaded, but rather as an experience to get it all right. I'm at that point.
Nursing is overwhelming. Focus on what you can change at this time, and those tasks that have an immediate effect on your patient. Look at your weakness, and improve it. Work is a challenge, but it's one I'm prepared for. I finished nursing school, I passed the NCLEX. I'm not going to know everything, but I will get better as I go. Much like the dreaded care plans, have a plan for yourself.
Know the areas you need to focus on. Make a list. Get good at the things you occasionally miss. The most important things. When you have that down, go to the next item.
No one expects you to know it all. It's okay that you don't. Don't cry after every shift, because really, what is that accomplishing? Nothing. Have a plan. Become the nurse you want to be in small steps. That's okay.
Specializes in Mental Health, Gerontology, Palliative.
Tenebrae- I did not say in my post that people were defective because of having anxiety. I know what it is like to have crippling social anxiety- have not been on a date in 17 years because of social anxiety- so I know what it is like and am not saying you or anyone else is defective. I also have GAD. In hindsight I should never have went into nursing because it is so stressful and that my personality is not a good fit even though I love to take care of my patients. But who knows how stressful a job is until they are actually doing it. If there were a medication I could tolerate I would be taking it.
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Sorry never said you did. Your post prompted a thought of mine about how many people would never dream of stopping their heart meds, or diabetes meds yet there is a contingent of society that expects those of us taking pysch meds to just stop the and get on with life
So many are stressed out by their jobs. I believe that nursing requires so much, and I know I could not have done this job at a younger age. I respect anyone who has that maturity in their 20's. I didn't have the maturity required at that age.
Maybe life experiences have something to do with the decreased stress and my ability to deal with it, along with the medication I take. I hate that more have anxiety than don't. Many nurses are on medication and that is a issue.
How do you sum up a job where you give everything you have and more, to help others who might be unappreciative? From the doctors to the managers, and the fact that we're the ones who are blamed; this job is tough.
For those that do go to work with anxiety, you are stronger than I am. You still do the job that needs to be done. That should be celebrated.
I agree with most of these comments here. "irrational" anxiety exist, and exist especially with new nurses. And I also agree that the original post comes across as condescending. Let me say first and foremost, I am very glad you've never had something happen at work, whether it be an overwhelming experience, horrible day, or just generally just had a freak out moment. But to say "i don't get it"... wow.
Now, let me add another aspect of "anxiety". If you don't go into work with just a little anxiety, I hope you are never MY nurse. Anxiety can be quite healthy in our field as it helps keep you on your toes so to speak. It keeps you cognizant of the enormity of your responsibilities and helps keep you from skipping steps, not taking for granted your responsibilities. You are responsible for other people's lives. You can KILL someone with just the smallest of error. That should give ANYONE anxiety and if it doesn't, again, I hope you are never MY nurse. Good luck and I'm glad you have an anxiety free job. A better article would be, "How to handle nursing anxiety" and give tips and examples. Just my .02
I love the responses to this comment. I think the valuable part of this post is the way the respondents are supporting each other in acknowledging the anxiety and stress that we encounter every shift. I love that nurses are able to say what they feel and not be ostracized by other nurses. That may not be the intent of missmollie in her post, in fact quite the opposite. We don't support each other by ostensibly saying, "What's your problem?".
That being said, I have seen new nurses to have so little bedside experience that they have no concept of potentially critical situations. It is one thing to have too many tasks to be completed. It is another thing to have all those tasks and be looking for a bleed, an arrhythmia , an undiagnosed AAA. That is where the true stresss lies. I suspect that is the underlying issue in missmollie's post.
And so then I can say " I'm glad I'm not her patient".
That was a weird post. & I admit, a little concerning.
My nursing related anxiety didn't start until about 1.5 years after I graduated. I look back now, to some of the situations I was in as a new grad in a busy ICU and I cringe. At the time, I wasn't fazed because I had excellent support from my coworkers and was very aware I was a new grad in a critical care area (& that I didn't know it all. Haha, or anything!? Kidding ... sort of) so I talked through things with my more experienced coworkers but, sh*t, really? I managed, I learned, I'm so greatful for that experience ... but now I look back and think, wow.
My point is, & I find it difficult to even articulate properly ... I think the more you learn, the more you discover what you didn't/don't know. & the more you realize what you still don't know. If that makes any sense.
I think it's nice that you don't feel anxious. But your post concerns me, as it does a few other posters. My anxiety was pretty unit/situation specific and with a few moves, I have been able to find a bedside job that I don't dread going to, but I do still always have in the back of my mind, "what if I do something wrong? What if I miss something? What if...?", and I firmly believe that if you don't have those questions in your head sometimes, you should be very, very careful.
Nursing is stressful & I hope that those that have major problems with anxiety don't take this post to heart.
Agree! My anxiety over my nursing position is *just* starting to catch up with me. This could, of course be, related to the THREE codes (all ending in the patient expiring) I have had in one week, and losing my orientee to a new preceptor, but I didn't have this feeling in my first year when I was young and inexperienced.
So you have been a nurse a whopping 6 months; the fact that you are comfortable already makes me uneasy. I have been in healthcare for over 10 years, and a nurse for 8. I am finishing my NP degree now.
Even daily at work now as an RN, there should be some anxiety involved. I have a feeling you have yet to make your one big mistake as an RN; we all have the one patient we failed that will haunt us forever, giving us that anxiety that SHOULD be there to keep us on our toes.
I was an experienced nurse in the cathlab; I was the preceptor for ALL new nurses to the lab; I felt I had control. Then one day I failed my patient; oversedated and didn't catch it until he coded from resp failure. Luckily he did ok after a night in the ICU, but it could have gone much worse. Daily that haunts me.
And I had anxiety my first couple years as a new grad; restless dreams and tears on the drive home. I do now training as an NP.
You sound like you need to take a step down from your high-horse and show some humility before you hurt someone and have to be humiliated.
Specializes in LTC, home health, critical care, pulmonary nursing.
New. grad, huh? You also sound young. I knew everything when I was a young new grad too. Nursing, and well, life, is going to knock you down a peg or two. And it will not be pretty. Try to reign it in before that happens.
I think the reason she said she's glad she's not a patient is to start her shift with the attitude of gratitude. It helps.
I suffer with anxiety pretty bad as an RN, I mean, working as an RN is not like if you are a bagger at a grocery store and bag someones bread under a canned good. It's often higher stakes. We are dealing with people's lives. It can be scary and anxiety provoking. Every day I have to have the faith to get over the "what if's"...what if I hang that wrong, what if I forget something important, what if... it can be debilitating...if you allow it. Just have faith. And do our best, that's all we can do. We are smart enough. We survived Nursing school and the NCLEX. Believe in yourself. And 99.999% of the time, it is enough.
Some anxiety is appropriate and can sharpen your senses in stressful situations.
I'm sure you did a mental health rotation and learned that.
Your coping skills don't help you with your anxiety - you take anxiety medication. When you develop some non pharmaceutical solutions to your anxiety issues, come back and tell us about it.
WOW! All I can say is wow as I'm reading this article. Are you a nurse? I have been a nurse for 12yrs & my anxiety didn't start until I was at least 7-8yrs in. I would feel like I was having a panic attack in the shower & had days when I would have to pull over on the drive to work because I felt like I couldn't breathe. I can't count the number of times I have sat in the parking garage & cried until the last minute. My anxiety is always worse when I am working night shift. I have no idea why & I am totally aware that it is irrational, but it still happens. Another interesting thing about my anxiety that I have tracked over the years is that it is worse in the fall/winter months. As it starts getting dark before I leave my house for my shift, I begin to feel immense anxiety. I think part of it is I feel like I am leaving my family at night, when a family should be home together. I don't believe my patients know anything about my anxiety because within 10minutes of being at work, I am fine. Its the build up to my shift that gets me. I don't think my patients suffer in any way. I'm glad that you have the opportunity to "plan" your day. See, I'm an ICU RN in a hospital where ICU RNs float before any other unit & our management floats our nurses to fully staff the floor & leaves us short. I have had days that I have floated to as many as 4 different units in 12hrs & taken a full pt load in each place. I also have been charge of a 20bed Med Surge ICU with my own 3 critically ill patients to care for. I just don't think there's any way to "plan" for that! I'm sorry that you feel this way about anxiety, but I'm glad you posted this because I truly thought something was wrong with me until I read all the replies on here. It's nice to know I'm not the only one. I lean on my yoga practice to help me control my anxiety & refocus my attention when the load is to much to bear. Yoga is the only way I am still able to do this job. I hope that you have learned about RN anxiety & now maybe, after reading the above replies, you "get it". Oh & I feel sorry for the people you work with.
OwlNation
41 Posts
It's ok to cry. Just not to let it interfere with the car of the patient :)
And the words you get from the people here, are just meant to make your communications in the future better.
You got this!