Nursing school is giving me anxiety.

[holistic-nurse]

Hi.

I am currently in nursing school and let me tell you: this is the most stressful thing I have ever done. I have anxiety on a daily basis now because of an upcoming exam or assignments. I am sometimes really close to a panic attack. Everything is just such a mess and confusing because the professors do not know how to provide organized, clear information so we know what we need to be doing. Covid is also not helping the situation.

I am trying to do yoga every morning but sometimes I just feel so drained and unmotivated. I have days where I do not want to do anything. I was so excited to learn everything I need to know to become a great nurse but now I just want to be done so badly.

Any tips on how to become motivated again and maybe some relaxing techniques and where to find them (youtube, blog, ...?)

[dailyblueberry0507]

I am in the healthcare field and my best friend is a charge nurse in the ER. If you are having anxiety before being in the hospital setting I might consider maybe changing paths or a less stressful nurse career like into esthetics. I have PTSD and being in the healthcare field can be done but ask yourself are you able to control your anxiety enough to save other people’s lives first then to deal with yourself? School is hard but half the stuff you learn in real life experience. My advice to you is to talk to a therapist and lay off the caffeine it really makes anxiety worse. If this is really what you want then I say go for it. Take frequent short breaks don’t forget to listen to your body and sleep. Professors don’t always hold your hand take it upon yourself to look up YouTube tutorials on the material. Ask ask ask questions your professors are paid to answer them. Hope this helps good luck 🍀 You got this!

[holistic-nurse in reply to dailyblueberry0507]

Thank you. I really appreciate you taken your time to respond to me.

My main anxiety I think is coming from exams. I am always stressing about studying and being behind and will I pass or fail. In the hospital I am fine and I love do lots of things there. I think I probably have a little bit of test anxiety don't do well if I have to do too many thinks at once for school, not in the clinical setting. I only have till may 2021 and then I will be done, so I just keep telling myself that and try to stay on top of thinks, which is not always possible and then falling behind gives me again more anxiety. But anyway, thanks for your response I appreciate it.

[dailyblueberry0507 in reply to holistic-nurse]

I think you will be fine just keep the positive self talk (I do this a lot). Just believe in yourself and yes I agree try to keep up with the deadlines. To relax I look at the color blue and watch things about the ocean or beach. Then I go on Pinterest and look up motivational quotes to study. I am going now for my PharmD so I totally understand you about those unorganized Professors during COVid. I hope you do well 💕

[brandalina]

Hi there!

I am a nurse and yes, nursing school is brutal. They throw so much information at you and expect for you to then ace every test. How are your scores so far? The tests are hard, they design them that way to help you prepare for the NCLEX or boards depending on where you are. I found the tests in school to be way harder than the actual NCLEX, which I stressed over big time. For me, taking practice tests helped or having a study group, maybe this is something you could do over FT or Zoom with someone or a group of people. The practice test site I used is the same one made by the organization that makes the NCLEX test but you have to pay for it. COVID is making everything more difficult, I couldn’t imagine being in nursing school while also dealing with COVID. You’re doing an amazing thing just by wanting to become a nurse and no, it’s not for everyone. Even without COVID there were plenty of nursing students in my program that quit or failed because it’s not easy so even if you’re getting by with low scores, you’re getting by and doing a lot better than a lot of other people out there. It sounds like you have a lot of testing anxiety and the only thing I know to do for that is take practice tests and deep breaths. I would have to take purposeful deep breaths while testing and sometimes time myself on how long I would allot myself to spend on any one question. You’re NOT going to know it all. You just have to retain enough to pass the tests. You relearn everything in the real world of nursing and because it’s hands on and your job you don’t forget it like you do reading it in some book.

[FearIsALiar]

Headspace app is wonderful. It’s free

[Kamp2020]

You are probably quite busy but I do dot art. Very relaxing for me. You can buy on Amazon but if you have a hobby lobby in your area or Joann's they have them. Good luck in school sounds like you will make an awesome nurse

[chaoticjoy3]

I have never been through nursing school but I have heard that it is brutal! Don't be too hard on yourself, a lot of us struggle with exams and such. I have recently stumbled upon a meditation app through fitbit, it just really focuses on controlled breathing. I am amazed at the impact it can have on my heart rate in just a short period of time. Anxiety can creep in pretty fast and it can be debilitating. I think the key is to be mindful of it and focus on meditation as soon as we feel a bit overwhelmed. Even 5 minutes of controlled breathing, mediation, and prayer for me can help me to center. And positive self-talk, we need to learn to lift ourselves up a lot more often. I hope you are able to find something that works for you, something that can put your mind at ease. Praying for you!!!

[Agora1]

holistic nurse, I commend you for choosing a well needed and deserved career. I tend to agree with "dailyblueberry" in that sometimes we need to re-think exactly what we want and where we want to go in life. School is always difficult but if you totally enjoy where

it will lead you, that's half the battle.

I started out in nursing school when I was quite young after having been a nurse's aide right

out of high school. Nursing school proved to be different than working on the floor. That is what I enjoyed, working with patients and not sitting behind the desk. So I rethought my career moves and went to Loyola University, studied medicine and found my nitch in life.

and became a Certified Paramedic. School was difficult as well but my passion for Emergency Care allowed me to make it through.

We each need to find what we were meant to do in life. If you really want to be a nurse,

then it will happen. Wishing you good luck with your exams. You've got this xx

[nursingpassion]

Amen! lol I understand! I am a senior nursing student and I feel that sometimes. What seems to help me is I write my name, RN on the top of my scrap paper along with "Breathe, go with your gut, and do not change your answer!". Something that has helped me a lot is reading the options before the questions. Working out (even though I hate it lol) has helped me in the past but honestly I have a hard time fitting it in my schedule.

I also found that coming up with silly acronyms and games really helped me focus when studying and relax, thus, calming down my anxiety. Use textbook questions and ATI to make a game like Jeopardy or Candy Land.

Think about why you wanted to become a nurse in the first place and if you have time, make a vision bored!

Are you in clinicals yet? that always kept my spirit going.

Another thing to try is go on youtube and watch some really cool gory nursing videos.

I also suggest becoming a critical care tech PRN if you can. In PA and NJ, I know you are eligible after your first clinical or sometimes after you have foundations. It helped me get out of a funk and is a nice reminder on what my end goal is.

My last piece of advise is to try and find a study group you click with. It can help to be surrounded by those who have the same goal as you. Even silent study groups can make a difference!

...

Please feel free to reach out to me! I very much understand what you're going through!