Sorry this is so long, but I just really have a lot on my mind and any advice would be very much appreciated. Thank you guys in advance.
Hey guys, so I have a bit of a dilemma and I just feel so lost and confused
So I recently graduated last month, and I'm studying for the NCLEX as we speak and am planning on taking it sometime this Summer.
The thing is that during my Nursing school years, especially in my last semester of nursing, I had this terrible anxiety whenever I needed to work with my hands, such as giving medicine through an NG or G tube, and it was so bad to the point where I couldn't even do a glucometer reading because my hands would shake so much, like my hands just have a life of their own and I literally feel like I can't control my nerves and my anxiety over having to do hands-on skills.
It makes me feel really angry and sad, and almost like I can't be a competent nurse because my hands shake so bad. It's embarrassing and frustrating, I hate it.
I think if I had better hands-on skills and wasn't so anxious about nursing skills then I would have been more adamant about doing nursing.
Another thing is that I feel like I don't really have such a huge passion for nursing like my other friends in nursing school did. Don't get me wrong, I love helping people and meeting people from different backgrounds and with different perspectives. And that's one thing that I really like about being a nurse, just being exposed to so many different people.
I am passionate about other things and have a dream about doing things that I actually enjoy, and feel am good at (it doesn't require hands on skills and isn't nursing related at all, it's geared towards the art side), and I'm considering looking into those types of jobs, but they don't pay as much and aren't exactly "professional" and noble jobs like nursing.
I was seriously considering taking a year off after I (hopefully) pass the NCLEX, and try to do some other less stressful jobs such as working at a bookstore or finding some work that I might possibly enjoy more than nursing, and that doesn't require much hands-on stuff.
However, I've heard from people that I wouldn't be able to easily get a nursing job if I wanted to return to nursing and get a job as a nurse, if I took such a long break (1 year) after finishing nursing school.
Would any of you guys have any advice or life tips or really just any thoughts about my situation? I'm just extremely lost and in a whirlwind of confused emotions right now.
Thanks again for taking the time to read my long post!! Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated :)
I think you should give a new nursing position a chance. Even if you end up not liking it, getting SOME kind of experience will help set you up for opportunities later down the line if you find you like a different area of nursing that is less hands-on. Some people are better at different areas of nursing and some specialties are not for everyone.
I do agree with majority of everyone else in that you shouldn't take a year off. I think your anxieties will get even worse and you won't want to face them as they already sound borderline crippling. Handling them now rather than later will only benefit you in the long run. I definitely think you should and can give a nursing position a try...really when you think about it, what is the harm in it? If you really find that nursing just isn't for you, that's a different story. However, nursing school and the real nursing world are totally different and I think you should give it a try.
Keep your calm dear friend! It's a positive thing that you're in love with being a nurse because of the diversity of individuals you're exposed to. When I entered the profession, almost four and a half years back, the only promise I made to myself was that I would be the best nurse around. No doubt, I have seen many nurses in the emergency department suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, but what I have learnt about nursing that does not get any easier, YOU JUST KEEP GETTING STRONGER.
As far as the anxiety attacks are concerned, you must definitely take the help of a good counselor or have a doctor prescribe some mood stabilizers till you feel better and more in control of your situation.
After your NCLEX take a few months or a year off, travel, watch movies and unwind. A few months off might not hurt your future prospects much, if you can justify your desire to explore. Meanwhile you could keep looking for jobs online.
Dmayonurse121
7 Posts
I think you should give a new nursing position a chance. Even if you end up not liking it, getting SOME kind of experience will help set you up for opportunities later down the line if you find you like a different area of nursing that is less hands-on. Some people are better at different areas of nursing and some specialties are not for everyone.
I do agree with majority of everyone else in that you shouldn't take a year off. I think your anxieties will get even worse and you won't want to face them as they already sound borderline crippling. Handling them now rather than later will only benefit you in the long run. I definitely think you should and can give a nursing position a try...really when you think about it, what is the harm in it? If you really find that nursing just isn't for you, that's a different story. However, nursing school and the real nursing world are totally different and I think you should give it a try.
Best of luck