Please help! Scared to start working as a nurse

Brea LPN · Jun 12, 2011

They way you are feeling is completely normal. Every nurse feels scared when he or she first starts working. If they tell you otherwise, they are lying. One you get started, you will surprise yourself how much you know and will say to yourself " I remember that from school."

AMCNurse · Jun 12, 2011

It's totally normal. Just remember you aren't expected to know everything right away. I feel like I didn't know anything until I started working. I think everyone is scared whether they admit it or not. Good luck!!

Nurseclark · Jun 12, 2011

Be humble. Keep your ears and eyes open to everything, and you will be fine. Everyone is scared at first. :)

swtcaligurl · Jun 12, 2011

Hi! I just graduated from nursing school this past May. I just received a job offer and now I am scared to begin working as a nurse. I don't know where this fear is coming from, but I am truly scared! I just feel like I'm not ready yet. Is it normal to feel this way? Most of my friends are excited about starting work but I'm not because I know this journal that I'm about to begin is going to be a difficult one. I want to be a nurse, but I feel that my fear is holding me back. Is there anyone out there who felt this way after graduating from nursing school?

Hi dear,

It is completely normal to feel nervous before starting on something new. You will get used to it, people have different ways of coping with changes. You will be just fine. One of my friends started working as a RN and she was very nervous and anxious about her first job offer as well. You will be fine, trust me!

caliotter3 · Jun 12, 2011

Remember that you will have others to ask for assistance and advice. You won't be there alone. Your supervisor is your best friend. You have to go out there sometime and start getting those days of experience under your belt. Normal to feel apprehensive. If it all gets out of control, really out of control, you will see when it becomes apparent that you should go into another line of work. But you can't see that, until you make the decision to try. So, just go do it. Like the first day of kindergarten. You survived that and you will survive this too.

CCRNDiva, BSN, RN · Jun 12, 2011

Your feelings are totally normal and appropriate. Your feelings tell me you respect the job and all it entails. Honestly, the graduate nurses who are over-confident and never scared actually scare me! I've worked in the ICU for 7 yrs and I still get nervous sometimes when I have a really sick pt. I've had physicians tell me they were nervous after a code. We're dealing with lives so that is understandable.

This is when your real nursing education begins. Don't be afraid to admit what you don't know, but always be willing to look it up. Good luck to you!

tokmom, BSN, RN · Jun 12, 2011

I have been in this profession for a long time and there are days I drive to work nervous about my day and if I can deal with everything thrown at me. I think it's normal. I remind myself that it's one day at a time and so far have handled everything and then some.

You are a new grad. You will not be alone and if your orientation program is adequate they will ease you into being on your own. I can't speak for everyone, but I bet most would agree, they would rather precept a nervous grad than someone cocky who is potentially dangerous.

Good luck, you will do fine. Keep us posted. :)

glutton4punishment · Jun 12, 2011

Face the fear, and do it anyway. You will be great. Believe it.

Amparo Pagan Titmus, MSN, RN · Jun 12, 2011

Congratulations!! :yeah:

Fear is normal, and a healthy sign of a safe novice.

You only feel those things that you are uncomfortable with. Comfort will come with familiarity, knowledge and experience.

I highly recommended this book to everyone.

http://www.ebook3000.com/Feel-the-Fear-and-Do-It-Anyway_52639.html

PackersFan · Jun 12, 2011

Thank you OP for this! I could've written this myself! I don't start my first job as an RN until August but I also am petrified! But everyone has to start somewhere, right? :)

NurseOnAMotorcycle, ASN, RN · Jun 12, 2011

I'll tell you the same thing a great friend told me...

"Do you think that, in all the years they've been working there, they've never seen a graduate nurse before?!"

Just don't be that grad nurse who "already knows everything". Be respectful when they repeat things you already know and be honest when you have to do something new and are nervous. "I never had a chance to do this in clinical."