Nursing Anxiety

lavenderskies, BSN · Sep 18, 2016

People do M-F jobs by arranging for childcare after school, job sharing, working 4-10's and or going PT (that's my personal vote). It's possible to cut expenses by quite a bit with some ingenuity and willingness making PT a possibility for most people.

Sour Lemon · Sep 18, 2016

Your managers will be expecting "blood from a stone" no matter where you work. That being said, some situations are more tolerable than others. It could be as simple as finding a place where you really love your co-workers ...but rarely will you find rainbow-colored unicorns and three-tier cakes baked from pure sunshine. And by rarely, I mean never.

lavenderskies, BSN · Sep 18, 2016

Do some researching. School nursing, case management, insurance, occupational nursing, etc.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Sep 19, 2016

I'd be anxious if I worked on a telemetry floor, too. The acuity levels and constant running would drive me absolutely nuts.

I stay sane by avoiding acute care hospital settings. I am a reserved type B nurse who needs routine and predictability from my job, and I know I will never find that by working at a hospital.

Seve · Sep 19, 2016

If you don't mind me asking, what area do you work? i know not all areas can be as crazy as tele, it just makes my whole nursing experience seem like all nursing is just insane. I guess I can only find out by trying new things.

NurseGirl525, ASN, RN · Sep 19, 2016

This is why I try to explain that nursing is not just about wanting to help people. In the end, it's a job. With hours, requirements, the whole shindig other professions have.

Its a job, it's a commitment. People romanticize nursing. It's still a job. And yes, if you have kids, you need to figure it out. I do. Many, many of us do.

purplegal · Sep 19, 2016

My first nursing position was on a similar floor, a cardiovascular surgical PCU. I also left, although not on my own terms. I know about the anxiety you're talking about, though. I used to dread going into work every day because the patients were so unstable and their was really no "routine"--everyday was unpredictable. I was always worried about making a mistake, especially a life-threatening one. We had patients who had LVADs, and knowing that unplugging the wrong outlet could cost a patient their life was enough to cause worry. We also had pediatric patients, which added more anxiety to the mix. I am now working in a rehab center where I care for anywhere between 8 and 20 50+ years old patients. While, of course, there is some stress involved (the large patient load, not having the meds needed for new admits, falls, occasional emergencies), I don't have the anxiety I used to. I know going in I will be able to handle the situations that arise. Plus, my coworkers are much more supportive than they were on my previous job.

NursesRmofun, ASN, RN · Sep 19, 2016

I have found in the last *decades that there is no perfect nursing job for me. They are all difficult in some way....and yes, I do prefer the 12 hr shifts. You can get away from the job for a few days.

JadedCPN, BSN, RN · Sep 19, 2016

I started as a brand new nurse in the PICU and while I knew I still wanted to be a nurse, I also knew that PICU was not for me because of that constant anxiety prior to my shift. After a year I switched to a different floor, non-ICU, and that made all the difference.

My point is that if this tele floor is all you've worked, then I would try another floor or environment to see if that helps. Nursing has so many options.

NotYourMamasRN · Sep 19, 2016

Tele is killing me, like literally destroying my soul. I have never disliked a nursing specialty so much, never. I love the type of nursing that tele is, physiologically speaking. But like another poster said, they are trying to get blood from a stone. The ratios are insane, they are sending people who should be at a higher level of care because higher level of care is full and they don't want to send them out, we have no ancillary staff, we get emails all week about what we missed, etc. Hate is a strong word, but I am getting to the point that I hate my current job. It is to the point I have to take a benzo the nights before I work just to sleep and have been started on an antidepressant. I live in the middle of nowhere, job options are scarce. I am trying to suck it up until we move out of state. But I am truthfully hanging by a thread.

ED_Murse · Sep 19, 2016

Why stay somewhere you hate? Makes no sense. Not judging - I've been there. Find a job you love and do that, it's much better :)