New nurse anxiety

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So I am a new grad nurse and I have been working on a psychiatric in-patient (two separate unit) for about 4 months now. My co-workers are all great and all but I am experiencing a great deal of anxiety. I feel so uncomfortable in my skin at work. I have only been an RN for about 4 months and I have to take on the role of being a charge nurse and I am not entirely comfortable with that yet. I have voiced my concerns with the Nursing manager and she assured me that I have help however, being the ONLY RN on the floor and being in charge really puts me at unease. Their days where I feel so nauseous even on my days off because I am so scared to go to work. I sometimes even cry myself to sleep for no apparent reason and its because i feel so much fear sweep over my body. Can anyone help or share if they have gone through this?

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Specializes in critical care, ER,ICU, CVSURG, CCU.

You will be ok, time and continued work experience wI'll increase your confidence

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

Unfortunately, there is no way around the first-year jitters except through them. Almost every nurse suffers from some form of (usually) non-clinical anxiety as they are learning; it is expected, and if you weren't at least a little unsettled I'd be more worried about you.

If you aren't ready for a charge nurse role---and at this stage of your career, you probably shouldn't be---talk to your nurse-manager again about your discomfort with being the only RN on the floor. It may very well be an expectation of the job, in which case you'll have to grin and bear it and do the very best you can. Just know that this feeling won't last forever and that one day you'll feel 'comfortable in your skin', as you put it.

Best wishes for success in your career. You have lots of company among new grads. Take care.

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