SNF nurse going into acute care with anxiety

Nurses Stress 101

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Sorry so long...please help? ;(

So I finally landed a position in acute care at a near by hospital after 3 years of SNF experience. I was so HAPPY when I was offered the job I cried tears of joy. The problem is I have extreme anxiety. Even at the SNF I worked at for 2 years I would experience high anxiety when something/someone would take a turn for the worse. Every day prior to shift my stomach was in knots and I wouldn't be able to sleep the night before and I would lay in bed till it was time to get up to get ready for work. Don't get me wrong, I love nursing...but it only were the days I knew exactly what I needed to do in certain situations I was given at hand. I guess you can say I have high anxiety only in situations where I didn't know what to do. If I do one thing and later come to realize I should have handled it another way I beat myself up for it. I have an extreme type A personality and OCD behaviors. I know I am my own worst enemy/criticizer.

I went to my MD last week and mentioned this to him and how I foresee my anxiety levels to be at their highest when I start my new job. He prescribed me Zoloft 25 mg 1 tablet QD X 1 week then 50 mg QD there after. I have been taking it a week and it gives me extreme pressure headaches, nausea, 1 episode of vomiting, and makes me feel spacey/drunk/high all the time. I messaged my MD today and am waiting for a response back.

What other medication could possibly work for me? I'm afraid he'll just recommended going to a stress/anxiety management class and I do plan on going to one but I have read/listened and tried many tactics already on my own and they haven't seemed to work for me. I really want to take a medication till I can get back on my own two feet. What medications other than an SSRI has worked for you?

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

Congratulations on your new position! It's natural to have some new-job jitters, but if it's more than that, you really need to have another chat with your doctor as we cannot offer you medical advice per the Terms of Service of this site.

You may even want to request a referral to a mental health professional, such as a therapist or psychologist, to help you deal with your anxiety. There's no shame in it; a lot of nurses have these problems, myself included, and there are lots of ways in which a mental health professional can assist you to adopt new and healthier ways of handling things.

Wishing you the best of luck~Viva

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

Viva has excellent advice.......however as per the Terms of Service we cannot offer medical advice.

[h=3]Medical Advice:[/h] ALLNURSES.COM, INC or it's members do not offer medical advice. Any requests for such will be taken down. If you have a medical problem, please seek attention from your health care provider. You are not allowed to ask for medical advice related to a health situation that affects you, a family member, or someone you know

Congrats on the new job! I am sending positive vibes your way!

Thread closed.

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