Should this amount of stress be normal??

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I just got done reading a thread (just one of many) regarding the horrible amount of stress new nurses are under. These nurse are suffering from exzema, rashes, hives, depression, anxiety, GI upsets, insomnia, nausea, panic attacks, horrible dreams and even personality changes. They talk about experiencing these symptoms sometimes for years (during nursing school and the first year in their new job). Is this normal for a new nurse? And if it is, should it be??

I mean...wow, yes some jobs are more stressful than others but if any one profession should cause this amount of mental and physical stress on one person (throughout many different people) then I cant help but think there is something terribly wrong with the profession as a whole. I love the idea of nursing and have nothing but the utmost respect for the nurses that are able to do this everyday but it would seem to me that if this is the norm than something drastically needs to change. I dont know what that is ....maybe more staff, better nurse-patient ratios, less responsibility, ect.?? It all just seems terribly unfair and sad.

Are there any nurses that transition into their role with the normal customary "new job jitters" and not the horrible anxiety and stress that many talk about? Do they not feel capable and prepared after their training and schooling?

Also, is this common with all jobs in health care or is it something unique to nursing in general? I mean would it be normal for a RT or Rad Tech to experience these health issues to the same extent that nurses do?

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Specializes in Critical Care, Nsg QA.

What you are reading are only the people that are complaining about their stress level. This is a smaller group than all new nurses. It may seem overwhelming if you read only those that post about their high level of stress. BTW, a certain amount of stress IS normal. Just realize you are not reading about ALL new nurses, only those that are sharing their experiences.

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Specializes in Emergency/Trauma.
What you are reading are only the people that are complaining about their stress level. This is a smaller group than all new nurses. It may seem overwhelming if you read only those that post about their high level of stress. BTW, a certain amount of stress IS normal. Just realize you are not reading about ALL new nurses, only those that are sharing their experiences.

exactly. new nurses who handle their stress in a more effective manner don't write threads saying "today was great, i wasn't stressed at all". i don't think anybody feels the need to vent about how awesome they're doing.

everyone handles stress differently, and allnurses is a safe place to vent about your stress or work issues. so, you'll see a lot of it here. of course there are many, many changes that employers can make to alleviate the stress, but it all comes down to how one is able to manage their stress.

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Specializes in Home health was tops, 2nd was L&D.

I totally agree...you are hearing the anxiety of a small % of new grads and nursing students. I also believe the longer one works in a position the greater the ability to transfuse the stress of the job. Now nursing is stressful occupation and any nurse will have horrible days, bad days and then not so bad days throughout their career. There are areas of healthcare that are less stressful over all and if someone knows up front they do not possess good ability to manage stress looking into other areas might be a good suggestion.

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I fully agree. I am a single mom of two going to nursing school. I am in my second semester and am loving it. Is it stressful? Yes. Can I handle it? Yes :nurse: I figure that in nursing we are called to be extremely good at multitasking and time management, I happen to be, but for those that are not, our school has workshops to help with that. My classmates are all very supportive. We are more of an all for one one for all type mindset and are each others cheerleaders. :yeah:I am just grateful to be here.

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Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

I agree with the above posters that those threads, while discussing one person's very real experience, may disproportionately skew the expectation of the stress & coping mechanisms experienced by new grads as a whole.

Having said that ... I don't know anyone who did not find their first year as a licensed nurse to be a period of considerable personal growth accompanied by some amount of stress. Most students' clinical experiences are mostly very different from the day-in day-out reality of a typical bedside nurse. But there are positives as well as negatives, as in, "I can't believe it - I feel like I've just learned as much in the last three months as I did in all of nursing school" or, "I'm doing tasks on a daily basis now that would have scared the daylights out of me when I was a student."

Good luck to you. :)

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Specializes in Med/Surg - Internal Medicine.

I'm a new nurse and just recently started my job on a sub-acute rehabilitation unit about a month ago. I will let you know that, yes, of course there are times where it seems overwhelming and that maybe I am incompetent. But what I have found to be VERY helpful for myself is to take a few deep breaths and think about the task at hand. Try not to let your brain go off on a tangent about what your next five things to do are. Concentrate on what you are doing at that particular moment and as you gain confidence, then you can incorporate more skills that you've learned throughout school. Remember, as a new nurse it is important that you are VERY PROACTIVE with your orientation phase. Be open to different learning styles and receptive to what your preceptor has to offer, you can only gain more knowledge. The truth is that nursing school teaches you about the skills you will be doing, but in no way prepares you for the time management skills that you will need in order to keep your day from turning into chaos!

I don't know if this would be helpful for you in the future, but I often come into work at least 20 minutes early and get updates on my patients, make a flow sheet so I can prioritize my tasks and review any medications, treatments, etc. I may not be familiar with. If you look in older threads, some nurses have posted their own flow sheets which are very helpful! There is a lot of wonderful tips in some of the older threads on this site, utilize them. :)

Best wishes!!:nurse:

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Specializes in Home Health/Hospice.

Most posts are nurses venting, and like someone else said you're not goign to have nurses say MY work was GREAT and STRESS free last night.

When I was a new nurse yes my stress was high because no I didn't feel totally okay with my skills and assessment skills etc. However I was very lucky because the DON I worked under was wonderful and I would go to her ten times a day if that asking her questions and she was so helpful and supportive. As a new nurse find a nurse who is willing to help you, but be careful with that and don't overuse them.

Yes nursing is stressful, we have people's lives in our hands. Some nurses are very calm and don't let it get to them, other nurses let the stress get to them. I'm one of those who is calm but sometimes lets the stress get to me, usually I let it get to me when I'm home.

Michelle

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