New grad depression?

[freckles23]

Hey everyone!

So I am a new grad RN, i have a full time at a hospital and working per diem at subacute. It seems lately I have been getting very stressed and agitated and want to cry every time I work. I am getting overwhelmed very easily and I never used to be like this. I feel my fuse slowly dying out. I would say my life overall is good, ive accomplished my life long dream of being a nurse but i cant help but feel as though I am becoming depressed. I am usually a happy go lucky person but the past 3 months have been emotional for me and im not sure where to pinpoint where it is coming from. All i want to do is sleep instead of go out with friends and im just over everything in my life and feel stagnant for some reason. Is this normal? Am I supposed to be feeling this way as a 24 year old? Mentally I just dont feel right and nothing puts a smile on my face anymore. Not really sure what to do about this. I guess you could say im kind of having a quarter life crisis and i dont know if its depression or something else. Any advice or personal stories is greatly appreciated.

[RunBabyRN]

This sounds like something that would be best addressed with a counselor, so you can really get into the intricacies of your particular situation.

I will give you a tidbit about my own situation. I deal with depression and have for a long time. I had to start taking antidepressants again during nursing school. I was also in an abusive marriage I have since left.

I went to nursing school with a specialty in mind, but understanding it was unlikely I'd go straight into it, and I had an open mind when I graduated.

The job market over the past couple of years has been pretty rough (I imagine I don't have to tell you this). I applied to over 2000 jobs before I landed something full time, something very far from my dream specialty, but something that gave me awesome experience and a reliable income with benefits.

I've had some low points, definitely had times I didn't want to leave the house, etc. Counseling is really your best asset. It's been mine.

Good luck!

[RNperdiem, RN]

Transitions in life are a big stress point. Becoming a new grad nurse is tough, and if this is your first full-time real job, that is another transition.

Leaving college, getting married, being a new nurse, changing jobs, becoming a new parent(especially) were all events that left me reeling in stress until I learned to pull out all of my coping mechanisms and build some I never knew I had to strengthen myself.

If I had to rank these stressful changes in order, I would rank becoming a new grad nurse on an understaffed med-surg floor as a close second to becoming the first time parent of a very colicky baby.

It is hard to give advice since we are all so different, but keeping close to other people helps us get through. Maybe next time, go out with your friends.