[Mustkeepjob32]

Hello,

I'm a little bit apprehensive about posting this on here, but I realize it's a board of support and that my anonymity will be respected.
I'm a 35 gay male with GAD, depression, BPD, as well as other things. I am an RN who has had trouble keeping jobs over the last years (actually all of my life) because of the above.
I'm wanting to hear advice from any floor nurses about how they deal with their anxiety and working on the floor. I am a good nurse, very smart, good with patients, but I have a hard time getting past that dread of going to work and not letting the anxiety get to me.
I'm where I want to be, and while I will go back to school, I'm not interested in being a nurse in a supposedly less stressful environment.
Thank you all.

[Yoda]

Lots of nurses here. I haven't worked for 12 years because of ptsd but I'd like to do some per diem work. Right now I want to keep myself available to help my mom as they suspect she has cancer stage 4 and she may need help at home.

Welcome to PC. I hope you find what you are looking for.

[IchbinkeinTeufel]

Hi there. Welcome to PC, dude. Bravo on such a brilliant job.

[Little Lulu]

I am an RN with anxiety. I no longer do floor nursing but I've known job-related anxiety and the dread of going to work. I even quit a job abruptly over the anxiety and took some time off ... only to learn that going back to work was very difficult and quitting didn't gain me anything.

I am still working as an RN and still have anxiety problems to some degree but I am better. Here are some things I did and I learned (besides that running from the problem didn't fix it) -

- got counseling for an extended period of time
- joined a support group and this was very helpful - out of this I got a support system that has been very valuable. It is a good place for me to be honest about my anxiety (and other issues). What a relief!
- read all I could from reliable sources on anxiety
- realized that although anxiety is uncomfortable, it would not kill me and that as the day went on I would feel better ... and I do
- tell myself THIS WILL PASS when I feel anxious at work ... and it does
- recognized that I have something to offer (maybe more than the average person because I can certainly empathize with patients who have mental health issues)
- am currently working onbringing my mind gently back to the present when it wanders to the future with scary thoughts, also very helpful

Mostly, I learned to try my best not to make too much of the anxiety. I am more than my anxiety issues and everybody is dealing with something.

By the way, I've been in nursing many years and have known gay and lesbian nurses and I never cared one bit about their sexual orientation ... it they were good members of the team I was on for the day, that was all that mattered to me! Nursing is a truly honorable profession and I am glad I chose it.

[Mustkeepjob32]

Originally Posted by Yoda

Lots of nurses here. I haven't worked for 12 years because of ptsd but I'd like to do some per diem work. Right now I want to keep myself available to help my mom as they suspect she has cancer stage 4 and she may need help at home.

Welcome to PC. I hope you find what you are looking for.

Thanks Yoda. I've recently returned to PC after a long absence. I am very sorry about your family going through that with your Mom but ifI know that you'd be so good caring for her with your skills.
Was the PTSD related to nursing may I ask? I tried per diem work before and they hardly called me for work. Then when I would get a call to either "confirm or cancel" me, I would hope beyond hope that they would cancel me so I wouldn't have to go.

[Mustkeepjob32]

Originally Posted by Little Lulu

- got counseling for an extended period of time
- joined a support group and this was very helpful - out of this I got a support system that has been very valuable. It is a good place for me to be honest about my anxiety (and other issues). What a relief!
- read all I could from reliable sources on anxiety
- realized that although anxiety is uncomfortable, it would not kill me and that as the day went on I would feel better ... and I do
- tell myself THIS WILL PASS when I feel anxious at work ... and it does
- recognized that I have something to offer (maybe more than the average person because I can certainly empathize with patients who have mental health issues)
- am currently working onbringing my mind gently back to the present when it wanders to the future with scary thoughts, also very helpful

.

Lulu,

Thanks for the list of things to help. I really need to have counseling but I'm always moving around from job to job or without any money that I never get the counseling I need. I did buy a self-help DBT workbook but haven't opened it in a while
I also realice that the anxiety won't kill me. But sometimes it is hard to remember that in the moment. I recently bought a whiteboard to write down short-term and long-term goals that I have in my life that I absolutely want to fulfill so I can align my life into doing the right things for myself and those around me.
I Thank you for your suggestions and will continue to refer to them. I go back to work either tomorrow or Tue I think and while my stomach hurts and I feel scared to death, I have to do it and I know it won't kill me. Thanks again.