I don't do well under pressure. Pls help

BunnyBunnyBSNRN, ASN, BSN · Dec 13, 2018

unless you have a private waiting room, get used to it! They are there for a reason! Help them, thats why you took the job.

We are all allowed to get overwhelmed. If you had taken time to look at the OPs profile you will see this is her first year nursing. I see from your profile you are "retired". I've said this before, I never used to understand the "nurses eat their young" phrase, but now I do. This is our "nurse's station", where we come to learn and vent and lean on each other. Please respect our space - be supportive or offer real solutions, otherwise lurk all you want, just keep it to yourself. Until you have done our job, you cannot possibly know how isolating and hard it really is; and if you have done our job, then shame on you for forgetting what the first year is like.

RatherBHiking, BSN, RN · Dec 13, 2018

All good advice. Just blame your red face on a hot flash which I've done many times. The kids don't notice as much as you think they do. Also, fake it till you make it confidence wise. The kids have no idea you are freaking out on the inside just a little so just put on a smile, remain calm, prioritize, take your time (unless a true emergency and most of the time is is NOT), and take it one student at a time. With practice you will no longer be as nervous. It just takes time to truly feel comfortable. Kids (and teachers) can be SO dramatic and some used to get upset I wasn't freaking out with them and playing into the drama but now they compliment me on how cool I stay under fire. Go figure.

amzyRN · Dec 13, 2018

I think becoming comfortable with anxiety will help you. I mean giving yourself permission to feel your feelings and know that it is okay. Try to notice it in your body where you feel it and breathe into it and it will pass. Perhaps do this when you are at home, imagine the situation feel the feelings and breathe. It's okay to be human and get nervous, everyone dose. Your face got red, that's okay, it happens to many people and is normal.

If you find that this does not relieve some of your worries, perhaps speaking with a professional might help.

Amethya · Dec 17, 2018

I have ADD and some anxiety and I get you OP. I get so overwhelmed when I have so many kids in my office (and I have a tiny office, 3 chairs and only one bed.) What I do is I recenter myself, breathe and ask each kid what they need and write it down and the most important ones go first and so forth. Another kid comes in with headaches and my bed is busy, I give them the option of either sitting or going back to class and coming back in 10 mins. If there's no room, I ask them to go to class and come back later.

Keep water with you. That's what I have when I start to feel hot and nervous.

Btw, I believe in you! You can do it! If we can survive our first year, you can too!

stephrooth · Dec 19, 2018

Maybe you're just doing too much. Our templates for all the maladies include every possible scenario...so for stomach ache it wants bowel sounds, abdominal palpation, etc. If someone comes in with a stomach ache, lays down for 10 minutes and then happily goes back to class, there's no reason to do a complete head to toe exam. If something is potentially serious, you'll be able to tell while they're laying down that they're not getting better, resisting going back to class etc. That's when the assessment can kick into a higher gear. Even if you do send someone back to class with something potentially getting worse, they will be back, trust me. Even with special-ed, these are basically healthy kids. Certain things I will give close attention to--asthmatics, head injuries, allergic reactions, or severe injuries. The rest of the never ending headaches and stomache aches, mint, water, few minutes on the cot and out the door.

Thanks for the advice. Idk why who I a head to toe assessment on an abdominal pain or headache.

stephrooth · Dec 19, 2018

The smell doesn't bother any of your students with asthma? I have two students that would case acute symptoms with so no go. Everything is fragrance free with one exception - the "fresh scent" toilet spray. My bathroom would not survive the daily parade of MS/HS boys without it...
(And so much YES to vomiting NOT being an emergency. Like I have said before. Vomit happens. Sometimes you just have to let to happen. I will never rush out of my office to hold a kid's hair back and embarrass them even more than the vomiting did itself.)

What would be an emergent vomiting? besides green colored vomit?

stephrooth · Dec 19, 2018

What also helps is having the students use passes. This helps because if the teacher filled the pass out correctly, you already have a quick note of who, what, and when. This helps because you don't have to take time to write all of that information down (except maybe a temp, etc.) which can be time consuming.
Breathe. I too have GAD and there are times when I see upwards of 50-60 students. If budget allows, order boxes of band-aids to pass out to teachers which eliminates those many paper-cut and hang-nail visits.
Working in a special needs school does make it rough at times, these kids are more complex and you don't want to miss anything so you might "over assess" if that makes sense.
You've got this. Develop a system and stick to it. If anything can be delegated to the instructional assistants in the class, do it.

I do "over assess" because I'm very thorough in nature and I don't want to miss anything.

stephrooth · Dec 19, 2018

If the kids walk themselves into my office and aren't gushing blood or in respiratory distress they can wait their turn. I find that weeds some of the "I just want don't want to be in class" kids out because when they see that there are 4 students in the office and they will have to sit quietly with nothing to do and wait their turn they are miraculously able to return to class without being seen. Having them wait their turn also allows me to observe them without them knowing they are being observed so I can see who is trying to get out of class and who really isn't feeling well. Take a deep breath, you can only do what you can do. Emergencies always take priority everyone else can sit and wait or come back. I've even had my kids who get regular meds sit for a minute or two until I am comfortable the student I'm with is stable. Getting their meds a couple of minutes late won't hurt them. It's only my second year, but I am much more comfortable and confident then last year. Good Luck and hang in there.

I always give meds first so they can leave right away and back to class. Okay, now I realize that they can wait too

stephrooth · Dec 19, 2018

We are all allowed to get overwhelmed. If you had taken time to look at the OPs profile you will see this is her first year nursing. I see from your profile you are "retired". I've said this before, I never used to understand the "nurses eat their young" phrase, but now I do. This is our "nurse's station", where we come to learn and vent and lean on each other. Please respect our space - be supportive or offer real solutions, otherwise lurk all you want, just keep it to yourself. Until you have done our job, you cannot possibly know how isolating and hard it really is; and if you have done our job, then shame on you for forgetting what the first year is like.

Aww thats so sweet. Thank you!

stephrooth · Dec 19, 2018

I think becoming comfortable with anxiety will help you. I mean giving yourself permission to feel your feelings and know that it is okay. Try to notice it in your body where you feel it and breathe into it and it will pass. Perhaps do this when you are at home, imagine the situation feel the feelings and breathe. It's okay to be human and get nervous, everyone dose. Your face got red, that's okay, it happens to many people and is normal.
If you find that this does not relieve some of your worries, perhaps speaking with a professional might help.

Yes I started seeing a therapist 4 weeks ago, I see her every Wednesday. It's something new to me so I can't tell if it's working or not

stephrooth · Dec 19, 2018

Keep water with you. That's what I have when I start to feel hot and nervous.
Btw, I believe in you! You can do it! If we can survive our first year, you can too!

Thanks for believing in me! I'm going back to work(school) today after being out for 2 days because of sever anxiety

Amethya · Dec 20, 2018

Thanks for believing in me! I'm going back to work(school) today after being out for 2 days because of sever anxiety

As well find ways to unwind when you get home. Keep work at work, and home stuff at home. Once you get home, get out of work mode and relax. I found knitting helped my anxiety when I had it. I'm doing better this year.