Have you ever had a job that just started eating away at your soul? I know that I’ve had a couple of jobs that were so stressful, I had severe panic attacks before my shift even started. Whether you’re a new nurse, a nurse in the middle of your career or a veteran edging closer to retirement (excuse me as I dream of that day for a moment…ahhhhh), I’m sure we’ve all felt some sort of nurse anxiety.
The job itself (you know, having people’s lives literally in your hands) lends itself to anxiety, mix in staff shortages, management issues, workplace politics, short-tempered doctors, entitled patients/family, increasing nurse violence and, of course, global pandemics and it’s a wonder any one of us can force ourselves through those doors at the start of our shifts. While it’s pretty normal to have a little “I don’t wanna go!” before going into work, pre-shift anxiety can really start to disrupt your life.
How much anxiety is too much? Is anxiety ever a reason to quit? Are people with anxiety even cut out to BE nurses? How can we handle the stress? How can we love our jobs?
Did Nursing Cause Your Anxiety?
Did you have anxiety before you became a nurse? I’ve heard from more than a few nurses that used to be calm all the time. Nothing ever frazzled them. They were unflappable. A year or two in the field and they’re suddenly on edge ALL THE TIME. Nurse anxiety is becoming more prevalent (I know, shocking). If you didn’t have one before you started this crazy career, it’s not all that uncommon to develop one.
As a matter of fact, I bet if you asked your co-workers, you’d be surprised at how many suffer from anxiety, depression or both. I mentioned it at my own workplace and couldn’t believe the amount of relieved “Me too!!!!!”s I heard. We worry about the mental health of our patients, but we should also be regularly checking in on our co-workers and especially ourselves.
Did You Have Anxiety Before Nursing?
So, there are a whole lot of very anxious nurses out there. Some developed it on the job, but some had it as a preexisting condition. I’ve had it my whole life. Nursing as a career had always been in the back of my mind, but anxiety held me back. Was I smart enough? Am I strong enough? I’m too timid, my patients will never listen to me. Can I handle that amount of stress? When I finally allowed myself to give it a try, I passed my pre-reqs with a 4.0, got into the nursing program, passed my exams and clinicals, killed the NCLEX, got my license….and then went back to my comfortable medical transcription job for SIX months before I finally started applying for nursing jobs. I.WAS.TERRIFIED. What the hell was I thinking?!
That was back in 2014. I’m still nursing. Anxiety still makes the days nearly impossible sometimes. Some days I want to quit forever. There are more days that I know that I would miss it like crazy if I quit completely.
You can absolutely be a nurse if you have anxiety. I am just one among MANY anxiety-ridden nurses. But you do need to prepare yourself that there are going to be some exacerbating factors for your anxiety. Knowing that going in, you can make a plan for some coping skills to get through the hard days. If you’d like, read my post on coping skills for anxiety.
How to Cope with Pre-Shift Anxiety
It is possible to keep going with your career. Don’t give up. If you made it through nursing school, you can do this, too. You just need a few tricks to make it bearable until it feels better for you.
SELF CARE SELF CARE SELF CARE
Sorry for yelling but this is the without a doubt, number one MOST important thing you can do for yourself. Sleep enough (I know), eat healthily (I Know), and for the love of GOD, drink water (I KNOW!!!!!). It’s not easy, but you’ll be surprised at how much better you feel if you take care of your physical self. Trust me, I drink more coffee than water because of the lack of sleep I get, which probably has something to do with my terrible diet. I GET IT.
I read this great article from nursejournal.org that has some pretty awesome tips for dealing with nurse anxiety both before and after a shift. It’s written by Gayle Morris, who really seems to get nurse anxiety. I’m going to touch on a few of her suggestions, but be sure to read her article.
Take Care of Your Physical Health
Start small. I have 24-ounce water bottle that I downgraded from a 32-ounce one. For some reason, that helps me drink more. Try a few new healthy recipes. I love my air fryer because it lets me eat the food I love, but in a healthier way. Instant Pot is another way to make healthy food quickly. Try bringing a healthy lunch and see how much better you feel eating food that doesn’t come from a vending machine.
Take Care of Your Mental Health
You also need to take care of your mental self. Find the thing that drains stress out of you. Exercise, read, watch a movie, make candles, braid your dog’s fur, whatever that makes you feel better, do it. Spend time with people that refuel you. Your family and friends are a very important part of you.
I’m a huge believer in mantras and affirmations. They definitely got me through a few of the more unbearable bouts of pre-shift anxiety. Make one up that makes you feel like the badass nurse you are. Here are a few examples:
- I am good at my job. My patients are in good hands with me.
- This shift will not destroy me, no matter what happens.
- Nursing is my calling and I’m more than enough for it.
- I am a good nurse.
Learn to leave work at work
It’s really hard not to ruminate about work. You might think about things that went wrong at your last shift or things that could go wrong at your next one. But, be very cognizant of the extremely precious time off you have. Keep work separate. You’ll have plenty of time to worry about work when you’re there. Do whatever you need to do to think about anything other than work when you’re not there. This is YOUR time. Not nurse anxiety time.
Relieve stress at work
You may have seen those TikTok videos of nurses dancing in the halls. The ones that non-medical people love to judge (Great, people are dying and they’re dancing, super cool…). Anyone with any sort of knowledge of what medical staff go through are all smiles and laughs. The fact is, you’re not going to survive in this field without SOME sort of stress reliever, a little dark humor and the support of your coworkers.
Lean on your coworkers and allow them to lean on you. Play silly (not mean) pranks on each other. Bring in food once in a while (who can be grumpy when you stick a cookie in someone’s hand?). Make up silly nicknames. Vent away about the stuff you have to deal with. After someone has just dealt with an extremely difficult patient, take them into the supply room and allow them to vent to you. Work on boosting morale around you and you all will feel better.
Do social things with your coworkers
I know, you spend a lot of time with these people and it may seem strange to go out for drinks with the people you work with. Trust me, it is amazing. I went out with some of my work friends a few weeks ago and it was incredible how much better I felt afterwards. Being able to talk to these amazing people away from the stress of the workplace was fantastic. You need them and they need you. Nourish the relationships you’re building with your co-workers. You’ll be able to better support each other at work when you know them on a more personal level.
Dealing with that pre-shift anxiety
I don’t think there’s a one size fits all way to help you through the pre-shift anxiety. But I do know that finding a routine to pump you up is going to help. Meditate. Make a playlist of songs that help you feel better. Pray. Do some yoga. Do some cardio. Reframe your thoughts. Instead of looking towards your shift with the constant thought of “this is going to suck,” use some affirmations like I talked about earlier.
Prepare
Find ways to make it fun to get ready for work. Pack a lunch that you’re excited about. It may seem like a silly thing to get excited about but think of it this way. Your lunch is usually halfway-ish through your shift. You have a delicious lunch waiting for you. When you get to the point where you get to eat that incredible meal, you already made it through HALF of your shift. You can absolutely handle the other half.
Add in a Little 'You Time'
I recently started listening to audiobooks on the way to work. The commute used to be kind of a pain, but now it’s just a little more me-time. Small pleasures are great at combating pre-shift anxiety. My audio books have drastically cut down the amount of tears I shed on the way to work.
Treat Yourself
You could also allow yourself a special treat on the way to work. If you love caramel mochas, only allow yourself caramel mochas on the way into work. That will start to program your brain to look forward to that treat and you might even feel a little excited about going into work because that’s when you get that chocolately caramely goodness.
When it May Be Time to Get a New Job
There was a time when just the sight of my scrubs would send my heart rate through the roof. I worked nights on a stressful floor. It was miserable. There were very few moments that I actually enjoyed the work. For the most part, I hated it. Bedside nursing was NOT for me.
So I went to a hospice company. It started out great. But, long story short, they destroyed me. Massive panic attacks, extreme insomnia, severe depressive episodes and, to this day, if I hear the same ring tone that my work phone used to have, I feel a surge of panic. Hospice nursing was not for me.
When I started looking for new jobs, I stumbled upon a posting for an endoscopy center. Since I had been rejected from several other jobs, I didn’t have a lot of hope of getting this one. But I did, and oh my goodness, life changed for me. I love it. My passion for nursing grew back. My nurse anxiety is much more manageable. It’s a fast paced, yet very routine job. I’ve been there since 2018 and still love it.
The fact is, there are probably 1,001 things you can do with your nursing license. If you find yourself hating nursing and hating life because of it, start looking elsewhere. It took me a few tries to find my fit. Don’t flush your license down the toilet yet. Try a new job. Give it a little time to see if it’s for you. If not, move on to something else.
Back in nursing school, I had a friend who, without a doubt KNEW she was going to be a pediatric nurse. Guess where she ended up? DON at a nursing home. Polar opposite direction. You may have had this idea in your head about where you were supposed to work. Don’t feel bad if it doesn’t end up being for you. You’re going to find your fit that ignites your passion again. In the meantime, be gentle with yourself.
Don't Let Pre-Shift Anxiety Ruin What You've Worked SO Hard For!
What made you want to be a nurse? Most nurses will respond with something along the lines of, ‘I wanted to help people.’ Look back on your nursing career. Or if you’re brand new, look back to your clinicals. Can you think of a life that you’ve saved? Or someone who breathed a sigh of relief because they finally felt a little better? What about someone who was terrified that you helped to relax? Think about all of those wins when you’re getting ready for work. You’ll be surprised at the difference it makes in your pre-shift anxiety.
Nursing is a thankless (mostly), hard, stressful, crazy job a lot of the times. It’s hard not to ruminate about all the terrible things we have to go through. But the bottom line is, you have a job that makes a difference every single day. And you’ve worked your butt off to get here. It will never be easy. Nurse anxiety makes it harder, but not impossible.
Nurses are made to care for others. But you need to care for yourself, too. Start making yourself a priority. Find the job that YOU were meant for. You can do this. Never, EVER stop telling yourself you can do this!
All my love!