New Grad with Chronic Fatigue

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I am 28yrs old, just graduated from nursing school and passed NCLEX on the first try.

Everyone says how excited I must be about finishing with nursing school but I am not; I'm actually pretty bummed because I am realizing that I won't be able to perform up to a good standard due to health issues. I've had chronic fatigue for the past six years that is progressively getting worse. I work as a PCT in a hospital and I am able to perform that job but only to an adequate standard since I typically am struggling to stay away and function.

I've tried to diagnose and treat this but have hit nothing but dead ends. CBC is normal, no mono, iron is normal, b12 supplimentation didn't work. I did see a fatigue specialist who believes I am suffering from a viral infection but the treatment is over 15,000 without insurance.

What should I do? I don't want to start working a job that requires so much energy and mental focus and I don't have any way to pay for this treatment. Plus, I am not going to sink all this money into something that may not even make me feel better.

I'm not looking for medical advise, just career advise.

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Try school nursing. You won't learn too much, but it's not too physically demanding and it's rewarding.

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Specializes in Hospice.

One of the unique aspects of nursing is that there are so many different options, some less physicially demanding than others.

Also, I'm sure it differs everywhere but I will say that the day that I filled in as a CNA where I work I was some much more physically exhausted than my typical nursing day:) While I do assist my CNA's w/ transfers, positioning, toileting residents on a regular basis, as a CNA this is main focus of the position.

I hope you find some relief from your fatigue and good luck in nursing!

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Specializes in psych, addictions, hospice, education.

Have you considered that you might have depression? Sometimes that presents with overwhelming fatigue. If you haven't seen a family practice doctor, I'd recommend it. Sometimes specialists like a fatigue doctor only see their specialty...

I wonder how the fatigue doc decided you might have a viral infection. He "believes" it? Wow, to spend $15000 without clear evidence might be over the top!

Can you get a job that's part-time, so you can rest a few days per week? How about working in a doctor's office rather than in a hospital? Sometimes doctor's offices aren't as intensely busy or as physically stressful as hospitals are.

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Specializes in cardiac, ICU, education.

Do you have any other symptoms besides fatigue?

Headache, joint pain, nausea after eating, stomach pain, irritability, or anything else?

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Specializes in Skilled geriatric nursing care.

Have you ever had your thyroid levels checked? I had overwhelming fatigue for a while and just couldn't get enough energy to get my day started. My blood test came back and I found out I have hypothyroidism. I now take one pill a day for the rest of my life- but it has made all the difference in the world. I was diagnosed in 2008 and I have been full of energy, have noticed that my life has changed since then. Just a thought :)

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Specializes in Trauma/Critical Care.

If your are a night shift worker, I strongly encourage you to check your Vit D level.

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Specializes in Peds/Neo CCT,Flight, ER, Hem/Onc.

Watch it guys. Some of the responses are dangerously close to giving medical advice. A sure way to get this thread shut down without answering the OP's actual question which is career advice.

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thank you for writing this thread OP, i too suffer from chronic fatigue and it worries me. I am a student, graduating in dec and I get worried if i'll be able to handle the demands of an RN. I currently am working on a medical oncology floor as an extern and even though I can perform my job I have nothing left in me for anything else. I do nothing on my days off because i feel like i need that time to recoup. I'm so tired all the time, I sleep 10-12 hours on my days off and still feel tired. I swear I have something hormonally wrong but I dont know what it is yet. I've had my thyroid levels checked a few times and they were normal every time. I'm sorry I dont have any advice, I guess I just wanted to let you know you're not alone. Something to think about though is maybe working in NICU or peds where you wont have to do as much heavy lifting.

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Specializes in cardiac, ICU, education.
Watch it guys. Some of the responses are dangerously close to giving medical advice. A sure way to get this thread shut down without answering the OP's actual question which is career advice.

I haven't seen any medical advice given, just personal past experience about what happened to them in their own lives and how they made it better. Aren't nurses suppose to use clinical and personal experiences and suggest ideas? No one here is telling the OP to take a med or do something without consulting a doctor. Even the Vit D level suggestion would have to be performed by a doctor. She wants career advice, but the natural tendency for a nurse would be to help someone with their symptoms to make their quality of life better. She is asking nurses for career advice.

The OP sounds like she will need to give up on her career because of an undiagnosed problem. My career advice to her would be to find out what is causing her CFS so she can perform any job to the best of her ability because CFS affects every aspect of your life, even the 'less' demanding jobs.

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Specializes in Peds/Neo CCT,Flight, ER, Hem/Onc.
I haven't seen any medical advice given, just personal past experience about what happened to them in their own lives and how they made it better. Aren't nurses suppose to use clinical and personal experiences and suggest ideas? No one here is telling the OP to take a med or do something without consulting a doctor. Even the Vit D level suggestion would have to be performed by a doctor. She wants career advice, but the natural tendency for a nurse would be to help someone with their symptoms to make their quality of life better. She is asking nurses for career advice.

No, nurses are not supposed to use clinical and personal experiences to give suggestions on what might be wrong with someone to an unknown person on an open forum...particularly not this one. I have seen hundreds of threads remarkably similar shut down. I'm not trying to be a meanie but it would be shame if it got closed before she got some helpful, relevant career advice perhaps from someone else in the same situation.

Speaking of relevance...sorry for the hijack. Carry on!

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Specializes in Med/Surg.
I haven't seen any medical advice given, just personal past experience about what happened to them in their own lives and how they made it better. Aren't nurses suppose to use clinical and personal experiences and suggest ideas? No one here is telling the OP to take a med or do something without consulting a doctor. Even the Vit D level suggestion would have to be performed by a doctor. She wants career advice, but the natural tendency for a nurse would be to help someone with their symptoms to make their quality of life better. She is asking nurses for career advice.

No, nurses are not supposed to use clinical and personal experiences to give suggestions on what might be wrong with someone to an unknown person on an open forum...particularly not this one. I have seen hundreds of threads remarkably similar shut down. I'm not trying to be a meanie but it would be shame if it got closed before she got some helpful, relevant career advice perhaps from someone else in the same situation.

Speaking of relevance...sorry for the hijack. Carry on!

I don't think that's what most people were doing (and honestly, for the most part, I don't see what's wrong with this). An open forum of anonymous people WOULD be an okay place to suggest something. They're not diagnosing them, they're offering ideas. Not even as nurses (since they're personal experience), but as PEOPLE. NURSES can't do this IRL, to patients. That's totally different.

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