What can I do to relieve stress from being a new nurse?

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Hello everyone,

I was hoping you guys can help with my stress as a new nurse. How did you guys survived when you first started working?. Any tips or feedback will help. I just feel that being a new nurse is extremely stressful. To me nursing school was not that hard but being a new nurse is the hardest thing I have ever done and I want to conquer it. I want to be my best and feel happy to go to work. Honestly speaking I feel nursing school does not prepares us for the real world job. Currently I am working in a nursing home PRN in the weekend only as I am still going to school for my RN. I feel that nursing home is not for me. Is this ok to feel this way? I can't wait to finish my RN and get a job in the hospital that I have been doing my clinical. I have a great chance of getting a job there as I have done extra clinical hours to get my LVN license while I am in the RN program. So do you guys think its ok for me to think that nursing home is just not for me?? Can it be possible that hospital is better for me? I feel very depressed while working there because I have only two other nurse working with me in the weekend and no supervisor or charge nurse, just the three of us. I love the hospital when I go for my clinical. I like the environment how there are more nurses, charge nurse, and other staff members. It is a different environment than the nursing home which I like, a more cheerful environment. Also I would love feedback on how to survive being a new nurse. Thanks to everyone for support. I love this website and so glad I found it!

Specializes in critical care.
Hey thanks for the idea. I just told my sister that we are going out tomorrow after I get back from work. And I will definitely buy a dairy tomorrow. For the first time I am not feeling as bad as I usually feel the day before my work. Thank you for assuring that everyone go through this. Even though I knew it, it feels better to hear from you.

Sometimes the best help possible is knowing others understand. ❤️

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Sometimes the best help possible is knowing others understand. ❤️

YES! YES! YES! I tried to talk to my husband about it and all he says for me to quit because he doesn't want me to go through stress. But I want to be a nurse, and I am definitely not a quitter. I did not worked so hard to come this far to quit. And I wish he understood this and helps me to follow my dream of becoming a nurse. No instead all he says if this is causing you stressed, you should quit. And I don't want to hear this. It makes me mad. He is supposed to help me get through this...So i am glad I found you guys who understands me and helping me to get through. I must go through this to get through this..

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I haven't applied for the job yet. The opening for the residency program opens end of this month. I will surely share with you guys if I do or don't get in. I want to share my joy as much as I am sharing my sadness.

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I'm glad you like that idea, and I hope you get the job you applied for!

I haven't applied for the job yet. The opening for the residency program opens end of this month. I will surely share with you guys if I do or don't get in. I want to share my joy as much as I am sharing my sadness.

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Specializes in CVOR, CVICU/CTICU, CCRN-CMC-CSC.

What the others have said. Also, if time allows, make your lunch break a "time out". Personally, I take a cup of coffee just outside the ER entrance (not too many patients are showing up at 3am) and chill for a few minutes. Just gives my brain a chance to process whatever has happened in the shift so far - come to terms with the bad, reply the good - and reset for the last stretch. I started the habit when I first came onto my current job, and have been doing it ever since. Very therapeutic in a zen kind of way.

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Specializes in 15 years in ICU, 22 years in PACU.
Hey thanks for the idea. I just told my sister that we are going out tomorrow after I get back from work. And I will definitely buy a dairy tomorrow..

ABSOLUTELY DO NOT BUY A DAIRY. You have to get up way too early in the morning and you don't get any days off. Those girls have to be taken care of or they get very mooooody.

And keep a sense of humor.

You already have all you need to know. We been there, we done that. You can too. Great advice from other posters about sticking it out and all the emotions you're going through being normal.

I have found AllNurses to be a stress reliever. When I read about others struggling with that first job, I can feel grateful to have a good job and competent workmates. When I read how others are gaining mastery over new skills and interpersonal situations I remember when I wasn't so competent myself. And we do understand stuff that the muggles (non-nurses) just don't. Working weekends, holidays, snow days. Stories about sights and smells and stuff that gets pulled out of somebody's butt that rock the dinner table! Being there at the first burst of life and at the final collapse.

This little club called Nursing is awesome.

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Thank you all of you guys for your support. I was so tired today after I came from work, still tired but not as much now. A good news. I worked a different unit(unit 100) for the first time, and it was way better than the unit I have been working since I was hired. People were more stable in todays unit with less acuity. Other nurses told me that I was hired to work in the hardest unit and it is not fair because I am a brand new nurse. And today those nurses proved themselves right. my shift was smooth today. At the same time I am proud of myself that I was able to handle the high acuity unit. I prayed today before I left to work. Yesterday night I could not sleep at all because I kept on having dreams about my nursing home. Today a new nurse told me she was there in the nursing home until 4 in the morning even though her shift ended 10 at night. She said they didn't have respiratory therapist for the whole week and today wound care nurse didn't come. She said she will quit soon as she feels she can loose her license by working there. I gave her my number and told her to call me whenever she wants because I know what she is going through. I feel so bad for her and really want to help her. We are really suffering a low-staff issue in our nursing home. Thank you guys so much. I am still so tired and has been so quite since I came from work. It is really a rough patch of my life, the hardest thing I have to ever deal with.

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Specializes in critical care.

(((Hugs)))

Each day that you feel frustrated you're on that hardest unit, remind yourself: if I can do this, I can do anything.

Hope you've gotten some great sleep!

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Specializes in ICU / PCU / Telemetry / Oncology.

Wine ... preferably red.

Enough said ... :p

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Specializes in CVOR, CVICU/CTICU, CCRN-CMC-CSC.
Wine ... preferably red. Enough said ... :p

^^ Yep, that works too!

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Specializes in General Surgery.

De-stressing list (in no particular order)

-Wine

-Walking

-Yoga

-Netflix

-Comfort food

-Catharsis of crying

-Sex

-Spa day

-Massage

-Mini trips

-Sleep

-Sex

-Wine

-Netflix

-Sex

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