Hello fellow school nurses,
I've been a school nurse for almost 3 years now. I came right out of BSN school (could not find a job in a hospital). I also work PRN at a pedi home health company. I am 25 years old and have no children. My question is: Is anyone else completely drained after a work day? I never used to be such a tired person. During college I could pull an all nighter and study from 6pm to 2am, go to bed, and wake up for clinicals at 5:30am and be fine, and go out on the weekends with my nursing friends. In college I had a weekend job at a hotel where I worked outside constantly running around in the sun. I feel like back then I had so much more going on and I had so much more energy. Now, when I get home from work (I work elementary so I get home around 4:30) I am completely DRAINED. I am so tired that if I even try to sit down in a chair or lay down, I knock out within 10 minutes. And it feels like someone slipped a sleeping pill in my drink kinda-tired. I try avoiding sitting at all when I get home because of that. I get to work at 7:00am, so I wake up around 5:45am. I try my best to go to sleep by 10:30pm. Some people tell me it's because I sit down all day. I don't sit ALL day. But yes I am at my desk alot, documenting, calling parents, ect. I went to a doctor had all my labs drawn and I am completely healthy. No anemia, no thyroid issues. Everyone always rags on me at home because I always full asleep so early. But I am just so exhausted. I can't help it. My school is pretty demanding of me, but I feel every school nurse jumps through hoops daily at their campuses. I'm just wondering if anyone else experienced this when they got into school nursing?
side note** I am not in any way asking for medical advice, just if anyone else feels this way after work. Please do not delete my post, thanks!