Overwhelmed

linearthinker, DNP, RN · Feb 6, 2011

Contemplative thoughts about death are normal, panic is not.

netglow, ASN, RN · Feb 6, 2011

I hated clinical. Don't fret. Clinical is a strange part of nursing school. You really don't have the power and control over your way of doing things enough for you to get a groove going. I say, if you find a good RN (few and far between) who has taught you something that day, it's a good day. Other than that try to learn and just endure it.

Just try to look at it from a world view perspective. People die every second of the day all over the world. Know that a lot of people die in that big hospital where you have your clinicals or nursing home. Many died before you ever thought to be a nurse and when you leave clinical for the day, someone might die at that hospital or nursing home and you will be totally unaware. The world turns.

flnursemichelle · Feb 6, 2011

Well, I have to say you definitely have too much on your plate. Our nursing school told us from the get go that if we tried to work more than 24 hours a week we would feel overwhelmed. I tried for the first few semesters but it was really bad! I found that when I dropped to 24 hours (2 weekend night shifts) I did so much better. I had a very easy job, I was allowed to study at work if my work was completed. I still found that I didn't have enough time to do everything I needed.

If you can't financially cut back, I would suggest that you carve out time for yourself. Toward the end of my schooling especially, I gave myself 4 hours each week to not work on school, not worry about the looming test, clinicals or what was comming up next. Sometimes I used them on really stressful days, an hour at a time but sometimes, I just needed to use them all at once. I would watch a movie, chat with my friends who weren't in the hell they call nursing programs and sometimes I would just take a hot bath and relax.

You have to find what works for you, what will make you feel better about this thing because when you finish this marathon, you will be a nurse. And the real life of being a nurse and what they teach you in school are so different. Once you make it, you won't stress so much, you can enjoy your patients and when you don't know something, there are lots of other nurses who would love to help you. Just remember you just have to make it through this once! Good luck and I hope you stick it out.

Horseshoe, BSN, RN · Feb 6, 2011

i hated clinical. don't fret. clinical is a strange part of nursing school. you really don't have the power and control over your way of doing things enough for you to get a groove going. i say, if you find a good rn (few and far between) who has taught you something that day, it's a good day. other than that try to learn and just endure it.

wow, good rn's are "few and far between?" fortunately, that has not been my experience nor my observation.

to the op, i will agree with the above part about "enduring." some days will be fast and furious with doing and learning. other days will be something you just have to "endure." but that's kind of how life is anyway, correct?

while it's natural to feel overwhelmed at times, it should not be a feeling which hovers over you constantly. that happened to me during nursing school and the solution was to let some things go. for me, it was the part time job on top of nursing school and raising two toddlers. for you, it might be that you need to cut down on your full time hours if all possible. you've just gotten started, give it a chance and things may settle down. if not, look to see how you can cut back a little on your stress so that you are not stretched too thin.

Guest717236 · Feb 6, 2011

Take each day as it comes. You need to learn to place a boundary around

yourself. You will see many new upsetting things in nursing, like death,

codes etc. Your instructors, nurses you work with in clinical ,medical

staff are resource people and will guide you through along with the

courses you are studying.

You will find each day a new strength, to meet another challenge.

Ask lots of questions, feel your feelings. Be patient with yourself and

always give your best effort.

To have boundries to me means to set aside your feelings presently so you

can act in the moment. You need to focus on gathering the data about

the patient, doing the interventions/assessments, and interacting

with staff nurses/MDs/other personnel.

At the appropriate moment away from the hospital, you can reflect on

your feelings hopefully with support from your peers and especially

your nursing instructors...

it is a never ending process as you will always meet new and challenging situations you

have not encountered before even as a seasoned professional.

If you find it is affecting your sleep, eating or mood, seek the help of your MD or NP for further assessment and recommendations.

Have some activities to wind down after a day of clinical. Take a walk, play tennis, or if you are

here now in the North East, build a snow man.

Claim your space, so there is a healthy place for you to retreat to to regroup...

do yoga, dance, pray, read, learn a new subject (gourmet cooking). Things that

are quick and can refocus you.

Your thread will help other students, as this is a rite of passage for many/most people in nursing and other intense areas of study.

canesdukegirl, BSN, RN · Feb 6, 2011

Katy, do you have some personal experience with death that makes you panicked? I think if you find the REASON why you feel panicked, you will be able to better deal with this natural progression of life. I lost my mother to cancer right before I started nursing school, and death was a hard thing for me to deal with during clinicals. It still is now, 14 years after her death. I had to learn to divorce my personal feelings and emotions and focus on my patient. Then I went home and had myself a good cry. Heck, sometimes the waterworks would start right there in the car on the way home!

I think you are stretching yourself very thin with working full time and going to nursing school. Can you cut back your hours at all? Can you take a weekend shift? What are you doing for fun?

Let us know...we are rooting for you!

WillowNMe · Feb 6, 2011

I work full time and have been a full time nursing student almost all the way through... best thing I did was cut back my credits at school, as well as cutting back at work. I also switched to overnights this past summer... Although it entails some rather long days - say I work 11p-7a, and then have school 8a-1p... and sometimes I have had to work that night at 11p again - I at least get time to do my homework at work if my tasks are completed.

Also, if this is your second clinical - give it time! The paperwork will become easier the more that you do it. I hate to say it, but, "Buck up Buttercup", nursing school is overwhelming to the majority of nursing students. Learn that you can't control everything (IE: all of patient care, the amount of paperwork due, death, etc.) so focus on what you can control... such as maintaining a good attitude, always looking for ways to improve your care, self-reflect on how maybe things could have gone better vs. what you did really well... ask questions - you are a nursing student, "they" start worrying when you stop asking!!

For death... Perhaps it would be a good idea for you this next summer to look into either working in hospice care or volunteering for a hospice agency once a week. Dying is a natural life process, it will happen to everyone. I think every nursing student is a bit uncomfortable with death because it is the "unknown" and that's what nursing is supposed to stop, right? Wrong! Sometimes in nursing, our job is to help patients and provide comfort through their dying process.

germanshep · Feb 6, 2011

Hi,

Your feelings are completely natural. Any significant life altering event (new job, new schedule, new school, etc) is a change. Change brings also anxiety. Change can be difficult to deal with and everyone deals with change differently. Your feelings of death could be a manifestation of your anxiety from feeling overwhelmed. I am not sure if your feelings on death is a personal experience or a clinical experience but in either case,this can bring additional fret and be a way your mind is substituting.

I also worked while attending a ABSN program. It was sooo difficult. Only 4 other people out of 62 worked. I worked a professional job while some were bartenders, waitresses and had flexible schedules (nights, weekends). I unfortunately did not; nor was I able to complete my school work at work. One thing that helped me was seeking out the ones who worked because they could relate to the additional tasks nursing school brought on. We worked on a lot of projects together that we worked on via skype, google chat, etc so we did not have to meet on campus so much. Sometimes I had a hard time switching my brain from being at work vs school vs home.

A great way to help from feeling overwhelmed is:

1. Buy an hour-by-hour planner and plan out your entire day/week ahead so you can anticipate and "see" the future. Plus you can carve out "me" time. In stead of craving out one time a week, I craved it out every day. I wrote in my planner things like read for 20 minutes before bed, cleaning (great stress reducer lol), etc. I could also plan that every morning I would wake up and study because I was more fresh in the AM (some people prefer to study at night).

2. Exercise! I know you feel overwhelmed and do not want to take time out of your day but I swear this helps :) I liked yoga the night/morning of a test.

3. Plan time for yourself and for your thoughts to run! Mine was in the car to and from work/school/clinicals. I bought XM/Sirus radio and this helped me soooo much. Otherwise, another way to help you study is buy a Livescribe Pen which lets you record your lectures (if you state/school allows it. Mine did not so I had to get special permission in writing) then you can transfer the pen to your computer and see your notes and also listen to the lecture while reading your notes. I actually listened to lectures in the car ride home (I had an 1 commute). This helped the lectures and material stay fresh and I felt I accomplished something :)

This is the link (I am in NO way marketing this and have no association with the company. This really helped me.

http://www.livescribe.com/en-us/smartpen/

4. Meet with friends who are not in nursing school. That way you can talk about things that interests you and helps you feel better.

I am not sure if you are up to this suggestion...my area offers free or reduced counseling from graduate students. It might help to talk to someone who will listen. You could also talk about your feelings with death. These students do not give advice and they are a great resource of listeners. If not, I totally understand.

The first semester is the most difficult. It will get better after you establish a sound routine and experience clinicals, labs, etc. Just keep telling yourself you have a goal in sight. Best of luck to you! You can do it :)

Guest717236 · Feb 6, 2011

Thanks for letting us know about the Livescribe pen. I had seen

it in Best Buy and had wondered if it was helpful.

germanshep · Feb 6, 2011

It is wonderful. They have notebooks that you can buy to write on or they give you a free sheet which is encrypted with the commands on the pen. So during class I could "press" stop, record, pause, etc if there was a break or questions that I did not want to record. I would then hook the pen via usb to my computer which is attached to my big screen tv and could see my notes and hear the lecture while reading my book. Def worth the money. My only complaint was the ink does not last long. It comes with 3 refills but I went through them so fast.

anistasha · Feb 7, 2011

Death is a difficult concept. It never gets easier to deal with, as every situation is different. Remember that all things die, and that death is not always a bad thing. It can sometimes be a welcome relief. Our patients do not get a choice in when they will die, but depending on the circumstances, there are choices that they can still make.

Know what you can change, what you cannot change, and pray for the wisdom to know the difference.