thenurseizzy

OP, thanks so much for posting this! I'm a brand new LVN. Graduated in May, passed NCLEX in August, and got my first nursing job in October in an LTC that also serves short-term rehab patients (S/P TKA/THA, S/P MVA etc). I too felt so anxious- anxious to get my assessments done, do my prn treatments (when the treatment nurse isn't around), report change in condition of my patients, pass meds (remembering all the parameters that go with them), AND do my charting. I was so nervous/anxious the first week off orientation, that I could eat was yogurt, almonds, and water (with the conscious thought of "I'm only eating because I HAVE to eat, not because I'm really hungry"). I'm a per-diem/on-call LVN, but I've taken as many AM and PM shifts as I possibly could. This has helped my anxiety decrease a little, though I still get heart palpitations when I'm changing a stage 4 pressure ulcer dressing (sterile, and he's positive for MRSA in a separate stage 2 heel pressure ulcer), and in the middle of it, my COPD patient (who also suffers from anxiety) starts calling out that she can't breathe (due to both diagnoses). I have great CNAs that at least check in with my patients and tell them I'll be there soon, and my fellow nurses have been a great help (whether I needed a 2nd pair of eyes for something abnormal I detected in my patient, or in calling a physician when a critical lab value for one of my patients came in, etc). I'm super relieved I'm not alone in my feelings of anxiety, and even more relieved to hear from more experienced nurses that it'll gradually pass.