Is it anxiety or do I hate being a nurse?

[TCH91]

I graduated from nursing school a year ago but have only been a practicing nurse for a little over 6 months. My first job on a surgical unit was way too far from where I live and extremely high stress so I ended up leaving after 3 months. My current job is close to home but is also very stressful. It's on a hospitalist unit, which is med-surg. I get extreme anxiety the night before I have to go to work and morning of. I have a history of depression but have never been this anxious before. In nursing school I would get a little anxious but not like this. So far, I don't enjoy being a nurse at all. I dread going to work. My stress level gets so high that some days my HR is in the 120s at rest. I've started getting these migraines. I had one so bad for 3 days straight that I had to call out. I'm in my early 20s and this doesn't seem to be beneficial to my health. I'm not sure if I just have an awful job that I hate or if I actually hate being a nurse. I don't do well under pressure and if I had known nursing was nothing like nursing school, I wouldn't have chosen this career path. Has anyone ever experienced anything similar?

I'm thinking that I will need to go on medication just to be able to continue working so that I can handle my anxiety and stress.

Advice would be appreciated

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I think that six whopping months of nursing experience is entirely too soon to conclude that nursing is not for you. Perhaps you are doing a type of nursing that is wrong for you and your personality.

Personally, I've been a nurse for a little over ten years and avoid acute care hospital work like the plague because I know my personality better than anyone else. I'm a low-key type B nurse who prefers routine, predictability, minimal challenges, and a sense of knowing what I'll be getting into.

I also know that I strongly dislike making snap decisions, moving at a fast pace, addressing stat orders, responding to codes, and the overall rigmarole associated with acute care hospital nursing. These things induce anxiety for me.

In addition, it takes most newer nurses a year or more before they begin to feel comfortable in their roles and less anxious. Good luck to you.

[thecrossfitrn, BSN, RN]

Wow. I'm really sorry you're having this much anxiety with your job. I'm a very high anxiety person, but I definitely don't get anxiety about having to go into work... mostly dread that I can't sleep in.

Can you pin point anything about your job that causes the most anxiety? Is your unit super busy and you feel overwhelmed? Are you taking a large number of patients with high acuity and feel unsupported? Do you feel like you received adequate training to fulfill your duties? Do you think that there is something that could change in your position that would make you less anxious?

Most importantly, is your personal life going well that you feel emotionally supported at home? Is there someone you talk to or vent to? I think a lot of times having an outlet for anxiety can be huge.

[TCH91]

Hi TheCommuter. Thank you for your response. I have definitely considered the fact that it's the type of nursing that I hate, not nursing in general. I guess we are the same personality type then because the preferences you mentioned are exactly mine too. I don't do well with fast-paced work or not knowing what types of patients I'll be getting (we get any and every kind you can imagine). It sounds like acute care nursing is not for me. I find that I don't do well under pressure and my judgement and decision making is poor when I feel rushed. I don't feel I'm giving good nursing care because our unit is so busy all the time and we have such a high nurse to patient ratio. What types of nursing positions would you recommend and what has worked for your personality type?

I think that six whopping months of nursing experience is entirely too soon to conclude that nursing is not for you. Perhaps you are doing a type of nursing that is wrong for you and your personality.Personally, I've been a nurse for a little over ten years and avoid acute care hospital work like the plague because I know my personality better than anyone else. I'm a low-key type B nurse who prefers routine, predictability, minimal challenges, and a sense of knowing what I'll be getting into.I also know that I strongly dislike making snap decisions, moving at a fast pace, addressing stat orders, responding to codes, and the overall rigmarole associated with acute care hospital nursing. These things induce anxiety for me.In addition, it takes most newer nurses a year or more before they begin to feel comfortable in their roles and less anxious. Good luck to you.

[TCH91]

Hi thecrossfitrn. Thank you for your input. I appreciate it. I didn't think I was a high anxiety person until I became a nurse. I understand that it's normal to have anxiety when you're a new nurse and all, but I didn't think it was this bad... My unit is extremely busy. Multiple discharges and admissions per shift. Constantly acknowledging new orders and having to change something or transfer a patient. Too many meds to give or basic nursing duties to complete that it takes away from providing excellent nursing care. My coworkers are great and luckily there is good team work on my unit. I don't think the unit could even function without it.I think my education prepared me well, but it doesn't prepare you for when you actually work as a nurse. I'm not sure if there is anything I could change with my current job that would make it better. Probably a lower patient ratio, but that's a staffing issue that usually exists everywhere and isn't fixed.I sometimes feel emotionally supported at home. My fiance knows when I have a horrible day (most days) and will comfort me but doesn't really understand what I'm going through. I explain but I suppose it's hard to understand unless you're a nurse and actually experience it. He doesn't have much advice to give except "get a better job in the future." I am able to vent, but I don't get much advice in return. I've concluded that I should probably try getting a job that isn't bedside nursing and is slow-paced, predictable, and suited for my personality. Luckily my fiance is supportive overall of how I feel and wants me to be happy. It's just a struggle of finding what I should do at this point.

Wow. I'm really sorry you're having this much anxiety with your job. I'm a very high anxiety person, but I definitely don't get anxiety about having to go into work... mostly dread that I can't sleep in. Can you pin point anything about your job that causes the most anxiety? Is your unit super busy and you feel overwhelmed? Are you taking a large number of patients with high acuity and feel unsupported? Do you feel like you received adequate training to fulfill your duties? Do you think that there is something that could change in your position that would make you less anxious?Most importantly, is your personal life going well that you feel emotionally supported at home? Is there someone you talk to or vent to? I think a lot of times having an outlet for anxiety can be huge.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

What types of nursing positions would you recommend and what has worked for your personality type?

I spent the first six years of my nursing career in long term care, a.k.a. the nursing home industry. As long as the nursing home utilized medication aides to administer all the oral medications, the job was relatively easy for me.

I spent five years in acute physical rehabilitation, which involved recovery after major CVAs, MIs, MVAs, TBIs, SCIs, etc. These patients spend anywhere from one to six weeks in the rehab hospital, so you became familiar with them and forge a routine.

I am now a work-from-home case management RN for a major insurance company.

[Trauma_drama14, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN, NP]

Maybe acute care isn't for you. Thankfully, the nice thing about nursing is that there are so many specialities and places for people to work as nurses. Have you thought about case management? (HHC, hospice, etc). If you wanted to stay in the hospital setting though, you could always try different units like being in the OR or maternity?

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

Try outpatient nursing before you bail.

[TCH91]

I have thought about case management nursing. I think it would be interesting. I loved maternity nursing when I was in school. It was the only area I genuinely liked a lot. Unfortunately, there aren't many jobs available in this field and the ones I tried applying for right out of school wanted experienced nurses.

[TCH91]

CrunchRN,

I definitely want to try outpatient nursing. I would like to work in a doctor's office or something but most job postings I see where I live ask for an LPN or medical assistant. Any tips on finding jobs in this field?

[nocturnallife, ASN, RN]

I'm not sure acute carr is for me either. What area of nursing do you work in?

[AutumnApple]

"Is it anxiety or do I hate being a nurse?"

None of the above. Is there a "growing pains" option? Lol

Take care of yourself outside of work. Avoid overtime. You need a life outside of work to "leave work at work."

Keep striding forward, remain professional and avoid rash decisions. You will figure it out.

Keep in mind, figuring it out doesn't necessarily mean figuring out your current position other than to find out its not for you. Not everyone wants the pace of acute care to deal with. Some strive in it, others have skills better implemented elsewhere.

And don't be afraid to reach out to employee assistance.