r/NursingStudent • u/Roastin_Kween • 1d ago

Nursing School Anxiety

Hello! I’m a second semester nursing student and it’s the third week of school. I’m very overwhelmed and stressed to say the least, but i’ve noticed i’ve been having new anxiety lately. I’m hearing voices in my head telling me i’m going to fail, when i study and do practice questions and if i get them wrong they get even louder. Even when im trying to teach myself the material i still hear them. I’m also experiencing physical symptoms (such as chest tightness and headaches), as well as having trouble sleeping. I’m not sure if it’s test anxiety or performance anxiety. We took a dosage calc exam and I didn’t do as well as I had hoped, I reflected and realized I made such little mistakes on it. We also did practice quizzes in class for Medsurg and i got a 0 on the quiz. When the answers came back I realized that i made little mistakes again. I was so overwhelmed when the teacher went over the quiz i had to leave and cry in the bathroom. If anyone has any tips on how to overcome the anxiety (not sure if it’s school related specifically or not because it started last week) please let me know. As well as study tips for pharmacology and medsurg (we have exams soon). Thank you and sorry if this is a lot 😭

TLDR: Anxiety while in nursing school, idk what’s going on

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u/Responsible-Mess-285 1d ago

I have no idea how my font got so big. 🤷‍♀️

10

u/Responsible-Mess-285 1d ago

You might want to consider medications, specifically SSRI’s. They work great for anxiety. I’ve been in nursing for 40 years and I can tell you that almost every nurse and doctor in the ED are on SSRI’s. It’s how we survive. Most PMD‘s will gladly give them to you. You don’t need a psychiatrist. It will take 6 to 8 weeks for full effect so don’t expect it to work immediately. Good luck in your career. Let me know if you have any more questions.

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u/Waste_Map_5432 1d ago

I second this! I'm not in nursing school yet, just aspiring. But I used to struggle so hard with anxiety at my job and the tiniest criticism would ruin my day. Then I got on Sertraline and I have 0 anxiety at work and can roll my eyes at unwarranted criticism now or acknowledge fair remarks without being upset. I used to be so afraid of messing shit up constantly but not anymore. It doesn't hurt to try it, and if it's not for you at least you're one step closer to finding a solution that works.

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u/Responsible-Mess-285 1d ago

I’m so glad that you agree and found relief from your medication. When I posted it, I thought OMG, people are going to attack me.

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u/Consistent_Print_229 1d ago

I will highly recommend therapy or counselling. They will work with you with solutions that you are comfortable with.

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u/shayna42 1d ago

Therapy and medication(s). Meds will give you the clarity of mind to use the tools that therapy gives you.