Terrified...is this normal?

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I start nursing school in a month and a half and I am TERRIFIED. I had orientation last week, and almost walked out. I bawled during break, and just felt so anxious and out of place the entire time. I have a BS already in health education, have a husband and 3 kids, am in my 40s. I have stayed home with my kids for 14 years, and just felt like getting my ASN would be a good fit with my background. I'm worried I will not be there enough for my kids, I'm terrified of clinicals, and also worried I won't be smart enough. Is this normal? It seems like everyone else is really excited, and I'm already wondering if I should just quit!

Being nervous is a normal thing. I'm 50 & am in finals week of my 1st semester of nursing school (ADN). I have anxiety & work full time nights & attend schooll full times days. It's not easy & requires a HUGE amount of sacrifice. I'm not exaggerating or trying to scare you when I say this: I have gone weeks without a "normal" conversation with my husband & my married son moved back to our home state because he said he moved to Texas to be near me & I don't visit or invite him over but maybe once a month. Like another poster asked, "are you & your family ready & willing to accept the fact that you're not going to be as available to them as you have been"? Nursing school is a lot of heavy, heavy work and requires a lot of time outside of class & a lot of having to say no to all the fun things you're used to doing. I have cried over not being able to find the time to go watch a movie and to not go to Zumba and not having a pedicure in months. What gets me through is this: first, I pray all the time and remind myself this is temporary and that the next two years are going to happen anyways, so, now that I'm here, I need to do Be 100% in & get it all done

If if I can do this, ANYBODY can. You just have to have the right mindset & ability to put other things aside.

P.S. my advice to you is to get help for the anxiety BEFORE starting school. We had a student fail out because she was so anxiety strikken that she ended up hospitalized twice and missed two exams. :/

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See your pcp and keep going. Either CBT and/or an SSRI sometimes works wonders. It doesn't have to be permanent

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Specializes in Psychiatry, Community, Nurse Manager, hospice.

It doesn't matter whether or not this is normal for everyone else. If it is normal for you, then it's fine. In other words, if you just tend to feel like this when you start something new, and it passes and doesn't mean anything bad for you personally then go ahead and do what you do.

For me, this would be a sign that I am making a mistake. Normal feelings for me when I am starting something new would be butterflies in the stomach, curiosity, maybe some shyness or awkwardness. It would be some mixture of pleasant and unpleasant feelings.

If I'm bawling, it means I'm under a lot of stress. It doesn't mean I need to stop something I'm already knee deep in, it does mean that I need to not add on stressors. For me, bawling at the break of an orientation for nursing school would mean I am not ready to start. No big deal. Just a sign that I needed more time. Maybe the kids aren't old enough. Maybe my finances aren't where I want them yet.

But I'm not you. Maybe you were discharging pent up feelings. Maybe you are ready.

I think you know the answer.

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Specializes in Disaster, Conflict Mgmt.
I finished school in Feb. I'm in my 40's, divorced, I have two degrees in addition to my nursing degree, and in a bajillion dollars of debt because of said education. Yet, I go through the day with a smile. You need to get a grip on yourself.

Uhhhh. No. Dude, just no. This may come as a surprise, but not all people are you or experience life as you do.

I hate responses like yours.

OP. I am sorry you are experiencing anxiety; you have worked hard to get here and of course this is frightening. Take time for yourself and allow yourself to feel the anxiety; acknowledge it and communicate how you are feeling with your social supports. Assess every week and take it day by day. I have been anxious in the beginning of new things often. On my first disaster deployment I pulled over TWICE on the way to the site, hyperventilating. I thought there was no way I could do it. It is okay to feel this way; it is when it becomes crippling or alters your behavior, endangers your way of life, that you should seek medical help.

Not everyone reacts the same way to new opportunities and don't let any of these silly emotional duds tell you otherwise. I've seen people sob in the face of success, steer into their fears; I know people who struggle with new, exciting things. Don't let the 'social normative' culture gas light you into thinking you should react a certain way. Process it the way you need to process it; just make sure you use your support systems.

I am rooting for you.

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Specializes in Nephrology Home Therapies, Wound Care, Foot Care..

It's not abnormal. While that wasn'tnt my personal experience, I was kind of the go-to person for every student who did experience it. I was 57 and the class mom, and cannot tell you how often I comforted and coached freaked out students. All but one made it through, and now have their licenses, jobs, etc. The one that didn't was for an injury , not her anxiety. Nursing school won't be as bad as they tell you, just create personal boundaries- mine was no homework on Sundays- that's my family day. I will tell you that if you find you have anxiety that is interfering with your learning, go to your doctor and get a letter. Then go to your school disabilities office and get accepted for services. You may be given extra testing time, or be allowed to test in a quieter environment. They may have some seminars to help. Do not let anyone, including ignorant instructors, tell you that you won't be a great nurse if you utilize these services. BS. You'll get better as you go, you're going to be FINE.

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Specializes in ICU, School Nursing, Health Education.

Thank you for the responses. A little background, I def struggle with anxiety. I have always been "high strung," but a few years ago I suffered from an extensive DVT (I could barely walk for months) and a year later my mom died from a PE. That ramped my anxiety up quite a bit, and was on medication and in counseling. Anyway, I am feeling a bit better, and talked with another student and she was also feeling the same. Much of what I am feeling is fear of the unknown, especially related to clinicals. I wanted to ask about it at orientation, but it was so rushed, and went over with little time to ask questions. I start actual clinicals 3 weeks in and I CANNOT imagine having enough knowledge that quickly to be caring for actual patients! Like, wth are they thinking?! ;) I wish the orientation would have been more informative as to what to expect/how to prepare for the nursing program, but it was rushed and mostly talked about financial aid, etc.

Thank you again for the support!!!

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Specializes in Orthopedics.

I'm a young single man and don't have much going on in my personal life, and I still remember feeling that type of anxiety. Yes, being scared is normal. Yes, you can still get through this. I know 2 people at my college that got pregnant, had a baby, and still graduated nursing school. It's possible. Requires a lot of re-prioritization, but you can do it. Good luck and remember to take time for yourself and your family, no matter how overwhelmed you feel it's always important to take care of yourself.

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