Nurses with Anxiety?

OUxPhys, BSN, RN · Mar 7, 2020

Oh yeah. I have anxiety just in general. At work I did what you did: check things 3-4 times even though I know its fine. Really the best thing is to put trust in yourself. As for anxiety outside of work I try to find things to keep me occupied.

NurseBlaq · Mar 7, 2020

Try making a list of your duties so you can check them off as you go and save yourself time and stress from checking behind yourself multiple times.

I separated work from home by leaving home at the door on my way in and work where it is on my way out. The only exception is getting a call from my children or their schools saying they needed to be picked up, etc. My family and their schools knew it better be life threatening or somebody better be damn near dead to call me on my job.

You have to train yourself to not take things personal and isolate situations that are personal so they don't affect you in other aspects of your life.

If you're having a hard time, maybe you need a staycation or talk to a therapist and get perspective or get things off your chest. If neither are options, have a real talk session with a friend or someone you trust so they can give you advice. I will caution to speak with someone who will give you advice that's best for you and will tell you the truth. You need to be told what you need to hear, not what you want to hear.

What has changed in your life that has caused you to be anxious? If you worked med-surg and have been a nurse for a while then you should be doing fine in outpatient. You have to think back to when your anxiety started and what may have triggered it.

brownbook · Mar 7, 2020

I am not a psychiatrist, I only play one on TV :). But your symptoms remind me of my best friend describing how she realized her daughter had obsessive compulsive disorder. Usually OCD manifests itself in the teen or young adult years...so hopefully I am totally wrong.

It wouldn't hurt to talk to your doctor IF this is beginning to interfere with your ability to function at work.

TriciaJ, RN · Mar 7, 2020

5 hours ago, NurseBlaq said:
Try making a list of your duties so you can check them off as you go and save yourself time and stress from checking behind yourself multiple times.
I separated work from home by leaving home at the door on my way What has changed in your life that has caused you to be anxious? If you worked med-surg and have been a nurse for a while then you should be doing fine in outpatient. You have to think back to when your anxiety started and what may have triggered it.

I actually agree with this whole post. I'll tell you what might be different between med-surg and outpatient: in med-surg there is another shift coming on and hopefully they'll catch anything you might have missed. In outpatient, you're sending them out the door. If they subsequently have a negative outcome, you will be the last health care person to have seen them alive.

I know this sounds a bit extreme, but my last job was ambulatory care. Even though it was technically "easier" than med-surg, I did cope with anxiety about possibly missing anything.

NurseBlaq · Mar 8, 2020

8 hours ago, TriciaJ said:
I actually agree with this whole post. I'll tell you what might be different between med-surg and outpatient: in med-surg there is another shift coming on and hopefully they'll catch anything you might have missed. In outpatient, you're sending them out the door. If they subsequently have a negative outcome, you will be the last health care person to have seen them alive.
I know this sounds a bit extreme, but my last job was ambulatory care. Even though it was technically "easier" than med-surg, I did cope with anxiety about possibly missing anything.

I never worked outpatient but I understand. Never thought about it that way.