Nervous Nutcase!

Irene joy · May 22, 2007

Please don't feel alone. I have always been prone to low blood sugar, keeping healthy snacks on me does help though. My biggest problem has been my low blood pressure at times. Then in anxious situations, get this, I faint! Really, really, bad situation. Then when I faint it makes me more nervous the next time, and I'm afraid it will become a self fufilling prophesy. When I get into nursing school, I may need medication. For now the whole reason I'm getting my cna is so I can get lots of practice and work through my anxiety. Needles are my biggest problem. I'm sending out big supportive hugs((()))) for you!

jb2u, ASN, RN · May 22, 2007

just a reminder. the op is asking "what has made you nervous." do not give medical advice. the op is going to an md for that. all post giving medical advice will be deleted.

thank you all for your cooperation.

jay, staff moderator

pagandeva2000, LPN · May 22, 2007

Hi all - I am a new CNA @ a hospital and I am currently a RN student. I have a lot of anxiety problems! I LOVE my job, but I am having a HUGE problems with blood sugar. I shake like a leaf, sweat like crazy and almost have a heart attack every time I go to prick someone with a needle!! I don't know why & can't seem to get it under control. It just crushes me every time it happens because I'm afraid I will not be able to get over this & progress in my career! I have an appointment with a MD to get help w/ my anxiety, but in the meantime I would love some advice or to hear your stories about what you were nervous about ... I feel like such a loon!

Please clarify...are you having problems with blood sugar meaning that you are hypoglycemic, or that you get nervous when you have to do a fingerstick for glucose testing? If you get nervous when you prick someone with a needle, maybe practice on an orange to improve your technique and pretend it is a real person. And, yes, keep in mind that you will be doing more than this as a nurse...several different types of injections.

I used to be nervous to draw blood as a phlebotomist. I thought it was so hard to watch people find the veins, but, as time went on, somehow, I got really good at it. Do not feel like a loon! Anxiety gets worse when you think badly of yourself. Take deep breathing exercises and think of the good you are doing for the patient by obtaining information for proper treatment. Good luck!

indierock · May 25, 2007

i can understand your nervousness about taking blood sugar. if you have the resources i would say invest in a tester and practice with friends or family, people that you know/ trust. they will tell you if it hurts too much plus you are comfortable with them. All it takes is practice and the reminder that depending on what is in the shot, it generally doesn't hurt that bad.

aerorunner80, ADN, BSN, MSN, APRN · May 29, 2007

I was a little nervous when I first started taking CBG's myself. I was afraid that I was hurting the pt but then I came to realize that it doesn't hurt them at all. Especially the diabetics that are used to having their sugars taken. I've taken sugars on pts who were fast asleep (couldn't wake them up for long and they weren't sedated) and they didn't even jump when I stuck them. Now it doesn't phase me at all to take them.

A few hints for you that I wish someone would have taught me sooner.

If you go to take a pts CBG and their hands are cold to the touch, ask the pt to rub their hands together, or if they can't, you rub your hand against theirs. This will stimulate blood flow and hopefully dialate the capillaries (which are constricted) so you can get some blood out.

Prick them on the side of the finger. For some reason I get more blood with this then if I go on the padded part.

If you don't get much blood out, take one of your fingers and push from the bottom of the pts finger to the site you pricked them at to stimulate blood flow.

When all else fails, use a bigger prick needle. We have two colors, purple and orange. Purple is the smaller needle and orange is the larger one and it also goes a little deeper. Orange is good to use on people with calloused (sp?) fingers like construction workers or diabetics who get checked often and have been doing so for years and for very very obese pts that have a lot of fat on their fingers.

Good luck!