My hands shake!

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

Most of my life my hands shake when I am nervous. I hope this doesn't affect me in nursing school.

Any stories about similar issues? Any advice?

I have been concentrating on willing them not to shake.. I am just worrying myself sick this will affect my success.

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Specializes in ER.
Most of my life my hands shake when I am nervous. I hope this doesn't affect me in nursing school.

Any stories about similar issues? Any advice?

I have been concentrating on willing them not to shake.. I am just worrying myself sick this will affect my success.

mine still do if I'm particularly nervous or have had too much coffee :chuckle

Sometimes your hands might shake a little, but there are little things you can do... like when you start and IV, you are anchoring your hands so they're not just in the air... you'll find your way.

You will chill out and relax as you go on in your career, so the shakes might stop. If not, go to your PCP and see if it's nerves and you might need to address that or what other options there might be. Good luck.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

It sure is good to know that I am not alone with this problem. Thank you!

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Specializes in ER.
It sure is good to know that I am not alone with this problem. Thank you!

sometimes there are situations where any persons hand will shake, like starting an IV on a 2 week old infant with respiratory distress, for instance.... it's stressful and you have help during those times and you remember to take slow, deep breaths to get you through. I find that when the stress hormones are really circulating, you have to make a conscious effort to breath, focus on the task and tell yourself to get to it.

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I have always been sort of a nervous person. I am starting my RN classes this fall. Prevously I took phlebotomy classes and my hands trembles the whole time, but I never missed but 1 veinpuncture out of 75. I did cut down on my caffine intake. I think you will be fine.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

I am seriously feeling alot better about this now:yeah:

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Specializes in Telemetry.

My hands always shake, not just when I'm nervous. It hasn't been too much of a problem. I have been able to start IVs and everything fine, once I got the hang of it. It is a bit annoying when patients notice and ask why I'm shaking, but I just explain and they are fine.

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I used to shake a ton. Once I somehow managed to "throw" a syringe when I was trying to draw up a med in front of my instructor. Thankfully it was at the med cart and she didn't give me a hard time. I found mine had a lot to do with performance anxiety. People are watching and I got more nervous.

Now I very rarely shake. In emergency situations I don't at all until they are over, I guess the adrenaline takes over. But I shake after (weird).

It takes time and building confidence. You can do it. I would just suggest not drawing attention to it by often making fun of yourself about it (one girl in NS did this and it made her seem less competent somehow). I had friends tease me about it and I just laughed and acknowledged it. So I guess don't make it an issue and it won't be as big of an issue.

Good luck in NS

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Seriously...don't worry. Last semester (last half of my sophomore year) when we started injections/IVs, all seven people in my clinical group were pretty shaky. My instructor called it the "universal student tremor!" :chuckle Actually, although she was a pretty fierce instructor, she was understanding of the problem and offered to "hold"/guide our hands during our first (and even second) injections.

The good news is that EVERYONE (even the people who were most worried) eventually realized that they weren't nearly so worried, and thus shaky, after just a few tries at injections. The general consensus seemed to be, "Ohhhh...that wasn't THAT bad!"

And, although this is a little OT, you can get through A LOT with shaky hands. I've played piano for a billion years and my hands used to shake pretty badly before I played for audiences-but no matter how much I was SURE I couldn't play that sonata movement, I always got through it!

Good luck!

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Ok I have the solution for you, it may work. Im also a "shaker" Im a really nervous person and its a horrible feeling when people see you shake, but first of all, who cares what people think, just put it out in the open "Yeah Im nervous so what" Nervous is cool :chuckle Why do us nervous people have to be ashamed of our nervousness that what makes it worse. Anyway your solution, when your about to do a task like give an injection in front of your teacher WIGGLE YOUR TOES!!! Im not joking it really works, instead of concentrating on your hands wiggle your toes and your hands will stop shaking, it really works, try it. My hands have shook for a good portion of my life but I figured out a solution. Try it let me know if it worked! Oh and it doesnt affect you during nursing school, it didnt effect me youll be worried about other stuff believe me, this will be the smallest of your problems. Good luck

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

Okay Lizzyberry I will have to try that. It makes me laugh to think of it though.

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Okay Lizzyberry I will have to try that. It makes me laugh to think of it though.

One more thing. You cant like wiggle your toes a little bit. You have to put all your nervousness into your toes and wiggle them really hard.:chuckle I know this sounds really weird but it really works. :up:

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