Panic attacks

[Krystal2020]

I am a nurse student im in my last semester right now im in the mental health class and we have to go to a psychiatric hospital to have our practices, the first time I went in a patient tried to attack me, I know this stuff happens but it made me extremely anxious to think that I have to go there every week for four months. What should I do!? Please help!

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

You should go to clinical, watch your back and complete your requirements. There's really nothing else you CAN do, right?

[doodlebuttRN]

Krystal, I feel your pain. I once had a panic attack driving to clinicals, started crying and had to pull my car over. Then I lost my contact lens because I couldn't stop crying. I had to call my mom and dad to come and meet me and drive my car back. I called my CI, who was so kind and understanding. I missed that day and later made it up. Try to take some comfort from the fact that you are not the first, and will not be the last, to suffer anxiety and panic attacks during nursing school.

That said, it is so important to follow through and do exactly what meanmaryjean said. It will only serve to increase your future anxiety if you back down and quit now, in your last semester. And you have worked too hard for that.

Most importantly, TALK TO SOMEONE. I have suffered from anxiety for a long time, and one of the best things I ever did for myself was to seek counseling/therapy. Anxiety is always worse in times of stress, and the last semester of nursing school is definitely a stressful time. I hope you are able to work through this, and once you have graduated and passed NCLEX, I hope you can look back and be proud of yourself and the hard work that you did (educationally and emotionally) to become the best nurse you can be.

There are many threads on AN about dealing with stress and anxiety during nursing school, and these may offer you some better ideas than I can. Best of luck to you!!