new nurse anxiety

naptimeRN · Jul 31, 2013

Hi! The way you are feeling is totally normal. I'm coming up on a year of being an RN and I still have anxiety. I must say though, it has greatly improved since starting! At first I had such bad anxiety that I thought I would not even be able to do this because I could not even sleep. Now I sleep like a baby. Any new job,no matter what field, is going to cause anxiety because it is new and there is so much to learn. I see you have been a nurse about as long as I have. You have to remember that nursing is a 24/7 continuous job. There are always others to help. You can only do you're best and accomplish what is possible in one shift. I still think about stuff when i get home sometimes like: did I sign for that med? Did I chart that?? If its that important, I will just call and talk to the nurse who has my section. Otherwise, realize that as I said, the job is continuous and it will be okay. Try to check over everything before leaving. This may help reduce anxiety when you get home. I always check my MARS a zillion times to make sure everything has been given and signed off. I also write a lot of stuff down on my "brain sheet". This helps me to remember to recheck a low BP, change IV tubing, chart a certain skin issue, etc. Another tip, try to relax and clear your mind when

you come home. I know that's hard! But sitting there fretting doesn't help anything. You finished your shift. You did your best. That's all you can do. I wish you the best! :)

oceanboo · Jul 31, 2013

thank you! I really hope so. it's not as bad as when I first started, but some nights are just terrible.

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Jul 31, 2013

There are NO non-stress areas in health care. The more complex your life is, the more sources of stress it contains. Stress is an inevitable consequence of life. Great quote from the play "Brighton Beach Memoirs" by Neil Simon..... "Without stress, the day would be over by 11:00". You can't eliminate stress, but you can learn effective techniques for identifying and managing your response to stress. I have colleagues who swear by the beneficial effects of yoga, meditation, or even running.

Contact your EAP to investigate non-pharmaceutical resources for stress management. If this is a pervasive issue in your department/organization, maybe you can discuss it with your educators & ask them to offer training in this area.

VANurse2010 · Jul 31, 2013

You can try working at a hospital where that type of physician behavior is not acceptable. They do exist.

ToothFairy(5) · Jul 31, 2013

Completely normal. I am one of those who de-stresses via running. But I am also that crazy driver going home that just has to verbalize out loud what a cruddy shift or whatever is bothering me. Once I say it out loud I am ok. Aromatherapy or chocolate therapy also works great. :)

blondy2061h, MSN, RN · Jul 31, 2013

I'd say I was a nurse for a solid two years before I started to feel confident everyday going into work. Nursing IS stressful and the first step to overcoming this anxiety is acknowledging that. Understanding that what you're feeling is normal is helpful. I am concerned when I see new nurses who are overly confident. Try to limit that anxiety to at work and not think about it at home. Approach each shift saying, "I'll do what I can, and I'll ask about any circumstances that I'm not sure about." Hopefully you do work with experienced nurses that are helpful. I didn't want to bug people too much, so if I wasn't busy I tried to figure out what I could myself using other resources, such as Micromedex, our procedure manuals, and the pharmacist. Don't waste too much time on this, especially if you're busy, but I did find it helpful so I wasn't constantly asking questions. That being said, don't be afraid to ask questions. Keep a small notebook handy and write yourself cheat sheets as you find out info. I love answering questions- I don't love answering the same question for the same person every shift. Eventually, you'll find you're asking less and less and more and more confident.

Another thing I found infinitely helpful was taking 15 minutes at the end of my shift and rounding on all of my patients, glancing at their rooms and making sure the bed was low, no tripping hazards, glancing at their IVs and making sure they were infusing properly, making sure the bathroom wasn't a mess, making sure the room overall looked neat and organized, making sure there weren't pills on the floor or a secondary IV line clamped off with an uninfused antibiotic, and asking my patients one last time if they needed anything. I did this about an hour before the end of my shift. It's not always realistic, but the days I did it I went into report and then home more confident. It's something I do pretty much everyday with 1800 I&Os and meds now. Then, the last thing I do before report is double check my MARs, my assessments, my I&Os, my PCA flowsheet if I have any, and the vitals and lab results from the day making sure there's nothing I missed and making note of things to mention in report.

anotherone, BSN, RN · Jul 31, 2013

The realllly bad anxiety started to fade little by little at six months But I still get now nearly 3 years later. I had coworkers tell me that they still feel that way 20years later. A few say, they just don't care and even more said those feelings went away with meds....... to me the feelings decreased once I felt like I could handle my assignments and the types if pts we get and skills we need to use. I try to stop thinking about it and read a book or watch mindless tv.

anotherone, BSN, RN · Jul 31, 2013

Iv been an RN for 10 months now. most days when I get off work and try to go to sleep, I am too overwhelmed by anxiety that I either cant sleep or dream constantly about work. I guess I just fear that I missed something on my assessments... does anyone have any suggestions on how to deal with this? it's very taxing. I love nursing but if it's always going to be this way, I might lose my mind... and I don't even know how to explain the way I feel after a doctor tells at me... ahhh!

As for the doctors yelling..... the few times that happened to me I was actually right or had nothing to do with the situation and just sarcastically as snarky as possible told them off. never a problem woth the same person twice and if it is. z most are so caught off guard they become silent. pts or families yelling about nonsemce , I might just walk out the door. all of this depends on whether I bave any responsibility in what they are yelling about. If I do, then I react differently. I hate yelling but have become more apathetic to it. in one ear , out the other

DonQuenick · Aug 2, 2013

I don tknow what I walked into..... I just want to be the best I can be and do whats right for the patient!!!!! Where to start I hear some talk about how overwhelmed they are but this is all that I want to do

oceanboo · Aug 3, 2013

thank you, all of you! I'll try these things. I love nursing and I believe it's my calling. I just need to stop worrying about EVERYTHING. I mean, I'm not god, right lol I don't have control over everything

catlove · Aug 4, 2013

I can't say how much this site has helped me! Lol. I am a new grad and currently (on break) on my 3rd shift alone. I feel everything you're feeling. I go home after a shift and lay there thinking "****! Did I do that? Did I sign for that?" Not PBL that.... On the job I feel completely lost at times. I got the worst orientation and still have SO MUCH to learn. The worst is I feel like everyone expects me to know it all already....

Just don't feel alone and keep your head up! :)