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Discussion

Is this for me

I am torn between pursuing or not pursuing nursing. I was in the program for a little while but left because I was not sure if this was for me. I had anxiety and fear that one mistake can cause harm to a patient or worse. I decided to look into other health care options, but I still go back to nursing. Any moment I had encountered; either it was an emergency with a family member or friend I always go back to what I learned in nursing school and try to stay calm and help them in any possible way. Having that adrenaline rush is fearful but exhilarating. However, my only setback is this anxiety that I have, and worries me that I won’t be able to function properly when it comes to treating a patient. Using an analogy, today I went driving and had to switch lanes, unfortunately, I had to speed a little to cut in front, the car behind me honked and it made me realize if he pressed the gas just a little because of my mistake we both could have been in harm because of me. It taught me a lesson, but it also haunts me that I committed this. This is just with only driving, what if I make a mistake in nursing as I did with changing the lanes. It would haunt me, but this taught me to be cautious. I guess I just need to know these feelings I am having is this normal?

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    Hello!

    You are human. Mistakes will happen but you can work towards minimizing your errors. Life is full of unpredictable moments/scenarios. It would be nice to foresee them and avoid them but we cannot so we work with what is in front of us. Take it day by day. There are many books, classes, exercise, and videos on how to cope with anxiety. You are not alone. Use these resources to help you build your mental wellness and manage your anxiety. If you keep being drawn back into nursing maybe it is because you are suppose to finish what you started. Uncontrollable things happen to all of us all the time but you do not have to let them hinder/control you. Also there are many different types of nurses. If you are worried about direct patient care try researching nurse careers that do not directly tie you to clinical care. 

     

     

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    Hi! The wonderful thing about healthcare is that there are so many options and opportunities out there. If you feel like you would be anxious or stressed to an unhealthy level as a nurse, maybe look into something like a radiology or surgical tech? These can be excellent stepping stones to nursing, but they're also super interesting, rewarding, and career-worthy in their own right. If you do decide to become a nurse, there are many settings in which you can work that provide a lower level of acuity and stress (community clinics, schools, certain specialized fields, etc). You don't have to pursue something like ER or ICU that can be a bit more demanding.

    Take the time necessary to build your confidence in your abilities, whatever that pathway looks like for you (not anyone else around you). Speaking from experience, I can say that this really eased my anxiety about clinical experiences; I used to be so nervous when thinking about even touching a patient, but I really did get used to it. If it takes you a bit longer to get to that point, that doesn't mean that there's something wrong with you or that you'll never be a great nurse. Everyone's journey in nursing looks wildly different, and there is no incorrect path if, at the end of the day, you end up a safe, competent nurse. Best of luck to you ?

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