Is there such a thing as postgrad depression syndrome?

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Tonight is my pinning ceremony. I've graduated the nursing school. I wanted to graduate so bad!!! So, here I'm. I love nursing and can't imagine myself doing something else. I've done my BSN in 2 years and I know I will have a job soon, since our cohort is under a contract with a hospital,which sponsored our clinical insructors for our clinicals. These 2 years were hard and I should feel happy and rewarded, but I don't. I feel alone, depressed and scarred. I feel like a woman with postpartum depression. I don't have a big family or close friends. I wanted to share my accomplishment with everyone I know, but feel as no one cares.

Not only is there pgds, their is also for me post work depression syndrome;

after starting my new career in the SICU of a major city hospital, and going into shingles by month 1.5, I knew something had to change. It was the hardest thing on my since I can remember. I would come home crying almost everyday, physically spent and emotionally exhausted. I was not ready to begin my nursing career there, and I am so glad for a great boss who let me go to another area....at least for a while.

:yeah:

Its been so much better.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

Wow I was nearly manic after graduation and starting my career. It was a natural high like the one you get when falling in love. :)

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i was a bit torn.....i was haapy to graduate and was proud,as i am 46,and i couldnt wait to be part of my family again....too many days and nights with your nose in your books.....i missed my classmates...we have become close....i actually work with three of them now......i also had a job before i graduated but had 2 weeks inbetween...i hung out by the pool with my son.....and did NOTHING............

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Excellent topic you have brought up! I have been feeling the same way. Tonight is my pinning ceremony and I just feel drained. I worked so hard and sacrificed so much to get through nursing school. Now I am feeling as though it is such a monstrous accomplishment but I dont know what to do with myself.

I find myself (for the last 3 nights) waking up at 2:00 AM after going to sleep at 11:30PM, and can't get back to sleep (Happened again last night and I've been awake since. Probably wont try and sleep again until I get back from the ceremony this evening).

My wife and I sacrificed alot to get me through school and she will not even be attending the ceremony because she has been offered the overtime (We really need the money. She is a 20 year NICU RN and we can't afford to give up that kind of cash when offered.) My parents are deceased so essentially I will have noone there for me to celebrate what is one of the greatest accomplishments of my life.

I can't stop thinking about my HESI exam that is coming up and the NCLEX shortly there after but find myself completely distracted now when trying to study. I was so looking forward to graduating but now that the day has finally arrived I feel as though it is a letdown.

Hopefully these feelings pass soon because I really need to focus on my NCLEX and get a job.

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Specializes in med-surg.
My wife and I sacrificed alot to get me through school and she will not even be attending the ceremony because she has been offered the overtime (We really need the money. She is a 20 year NICU RN and we can't afford to give up that kind of cash when offered.) My parents are deceased so essentially I will have noone there for me to celebrate what is one of the greatest accomplishments of my life.

I can't stop thinking about my HESI exam that is coming up and the NCLEX shortly there after but find myself completely distracted now when trying to study. I was so looking forward to graduating but now that the day has finally arrived I feel as though it is a letdown.

Hopefully these feelings pass soon because I really need to focus on my NCLEX and get a job.

I feel so similar - my husband is a police officer and couldn't find anyone to swap his shift so he missed my pinning and award ceremony. My parents came, but I really wanted my husband there - he's put up with so much and our relationship is really suffering from the lack of attention. I have been offered a job but it doesn't start for 2 months. I'm finding it really difficult to stay motivated the study for the NCLEX. I just don't know what to do with myself with so much time off. Plus, we had no power/heat/water for 6 days beginning the day of my pinning (ice storm) so I went from the pure craziness of school to nothing, really nothing. It's taking a while to get back on track, I don't do well when my time is unstructured.

Hang in there everyone!! :nurse:

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Yes... yes I understand what you mean. I took my last final on December 17th so I guess I'm done.. My pinning ceremony is next month and I feel horrible... After taking my last final I came home and cried for 2 hours (I can't even remember the last time I cried).. I could not wait to finish and now I feel like bum. Nursing school has drained everything out of me money, my life, fun, friends (so called) and my only child is acting out to the extreme. :bluecry1: All I can do is hold my head down and shake it wondering where are the feelings of joy from completing this program that I was looking forward to. So NCLEX.. Hmmmm...I don't know where to start... I thought it was going to get better after a million hours of horrible clinical rotations... :coollook: LOL..

But we will all make it...

Hope I did not sound tooo depressing...:D

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Specializes in ICU, ED.

I too have a post grad depression going on... but I had a job lined up 6 months before graduation! I think for me it was multifactorial:

1 Being done with school and now an "adult". School is all Ive ever known

2 New responsibility and a new career

3 Moving a few states away from home/family to take this job.

When I first got here (8/08)I was sooooooooooooooooooo EXCITED!!! I had just got my licence, living in a place I had always dreamed of, and was finally a NURSE, and starting in a unit/hospital that many can only dream of. But... reality set in after the few months and the honeymoon was over. I had put this job on a pedestal and it wasnt exactly how I had pictured it. The reality of not having scheduled breaks to go home for holidays also was very very hard, and pretty much this was the first time I hadnt lived near family. So the stress and money spent trying to go home for as long as possible has been a big issue in the last few months. :crying2:

So Ive come to the realization that moving back home later this year is probably the best thing for me. Once I finish my new grad commitment here and have a year under my belt, I hope to be able to get a job anywhere. Though Ive been very sad the last few months and dont want to leave my job, I know it was an opportunity that I couldnt pass up :wink2:

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I feel your pain... my own sister wasn't interested in coming to my pinning ceremony or my graduation and I was heartbroken. I just couldn't believe she wouldn't want to be there to share such a huge accomplishment in my life. But then again, nursing school is something that is understood best by those in it and hardly understood at all by those on the outside, lol.

I knew I would miss my classmates terribly too. But now, 8 months later, a bunch of them all work at the same hospital with me and 4 of them work on the same unit as me and the same shift! Maybe you will run into some of your classmates along the way too. It's comforting seeing familiar faces and knowing we are all still in the same boat.

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Specializes in Telemetry & Obs.

I could have written your post!! I remember the "let down" I felt at my pinning ceremony...all that hype and for what?? I had a degree, but I wasn't a nurse yet. Still that little matter of passing NCLEX!! The first day I didn't have classes I *almost* didn't know what to do. I took a few days off to relax and then I tackled studying for NCLEX. Nothing like the pressure of having a job already depending on whether or not I passed!! ARGH!!

You're normal, sweetie...and what you're feeling is normal!! Be kind to yourself :)

Btw, I concur with the recommended course of chocolate!

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I cant believe someone posted this. i feel the same way. we had graduation practice yesterday and i was so depressed the whole time. I couldn't figure out why. i thought, "maybe i'm tired or something." nope. still feel the same way. I'm going to miss a core group of people i've gone through the program with. They all live far away. I know they have families and other stuff going on in their lives. its sad, because i may never see them again. well, as they say, when one door closes, another one opens. Now i have to motivate myself to study for the nclex.

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Specializes in Peds Hem, Onc, Med/Surg.

It is completely normal. After school ended I became so sad and depressed; and even though I had a wonderful support system I felt like it all meant nothing. It will pass.

CONGRATS!!

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My friend and I were just talking about this! We graduate in May and have been looking forward to that date for so long that once it passes, there will be nothing left to look forward to after starting work. It will just be back to the daily grind. Don't get me wrong, I'm very excited to start working, but there won't be a magical date anymore. I think that's one reason why I want to go back for my BSN at some point.. to give myself another goal. I'd also like to get certified in a specialty and take all kinds of courses whenever I can. Not only do I want to keep learning, but I want to have something to look forward to again. I will also miss seeing my friends all the time and the comfort level of school. I have a feeling I will have a depression period after graduation. lol

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