I met with a good friend from nursing school earlier this
week to discuss tips for managing stress the 3rd semester and
approaching the grueling course load she has ahead. While I am no expert in
dealing with the anxiety that accompanies our beloved Adult and Elder and NCLEX exams, I have found that over
the past 12 months my pre-exam paranoia has diminished significantly. With stress being one of the many contributing factors leading to depression and depression being listed as one of the
World Health Organization’s (WHO) health topics,
I wanted to start off writing about what’s helped me to prevent and deal with
stress in nursing school.
Whether we
opt to work domestically or abroad, nurses are in a profession where they and their patients
will come to know stress very well. Stress can surprise you and provide some
health benefits
but for many of us, it’s scary, awful and we just want it to go away. Throw being sick into the mix and you have a
cocktail of Molotov-ian proportions. So,
without further adieu, here a few of my tips on how to deal with stress in
nursing school and beyond.
1.
Know
your limits
We all have a personal threshold. While some of us can dedicate our lives to hours on end at Bobst, others find more solace in the comfort of our homes, a coffee shop or Washington Square Park. When it’s enough for you, be okay with it. Studying won’t become a chore or an annoyance and you might get more from the time you devote to it. Developing this awareness might also give you a better sense of what you’re more comfortable with in the future. Can you do hours on end in one spot? Surgery might be for you. Do you like a little more variety and moving around? Maybe you’ll like ER nursing. However you decide to approach studying or your career, know that none is better than the other so long as it works for you!
We all have a personal threshold. While some of us can dedicate our lives to hours on end at Bobst, others find more solace in the comfort of our homes, a coffee shop or Washington Square Park. When it’s enough for you, be okay with it. Studying won’t become a chore or an annoyance and you might get more from the time you devote to it. Developing this awareness might also give you a better sense of what you’re more comfortable with in the future. Can you do hours on end in one spot? Surgery might be for you. Do you like a little more variety and moving around? Maybe you’ll like ER nursing. However you decide to approach studying or your career, know that none is better than the other so long as it works for you!
2.
Ease
up, Eat up and Exercise!
I can’t stress (no pun intended) how helpful getting enough sleep, eating well and exercising has been for me. While I have some friends that can get by on 5 hours a night, I personally need my 6-7. Eating well throughout nursing school has always been a challenge so this semester I decided to spice it up. Each week I’ll make myself a different sandwich to save money and to add some variety to my diet. So far, so good. Nutella, Peanut Butter, Banana, you have done well. I’ll up the veggies next week. As for exercise, yoga has helped me tremendously. From providing me a peace of mind to upping my already high energy level to making me stronger, yoga has done wonders for me throughout nursing school. Happy National Yoga Month everyone!
I can’t stress (no pun intended) how helpful getting enough sleep, eating well and exercising has been for me. While I have some friends that can get by on 5 hours a night, I personally need my 6-7. Eating well throughout nursing school has always been a challenge so this semester I decided to spice it up. Each week I’ll make myself a different sandwich to save money and to add some variety to my diet. So far, so good. Nutella, Peanut Butter, Banana, you have done well. I’ll up the veggies next week. As for exercise, yoga has helped me tremendously. From providing me a peace of mind to upping my already high energy level to making me stronger, yoga has done wonders for me throughout nursing school. Happy National Yoga Month everyone!
3.
Prepare,
Prepare, Prepare
This advice is the best I’ve ever received in nursing school. It sounds so simple but we all forget to do it. We have pre-sims, IHI modules and Kaplans due that we oftentimes come to clinicals or exams unprepared. Setting your scrubs, watch, stethoscope and name tag out the night before, downloading slides a day or two before class and reviewing them and getting those mandatory assignments out of the way a few weeks head are all habits that will help alleviate stress both now and later. This will also help us focus on the task at hand – whether it is an exam or a patient.
This advice is the best I’ve ever received in nursing school. It sounds so simple but we all forget to do it. We have pre-sims, IHI modules and Kaplans due that we oftentimes come to clinicals or exams unprepared. Setting your scrubs, watch, stethoscope and name tag out the night before, downloading slides a day or two before class and reviewing them and getting those mandatory assignments out of the way a few weeks head are all habits that will help alleviate stress both now and later. This will also help us focus on the task at hand – whether it is an exam or a patient.
4.
Reward
Yourself
No one says it better than Aziz Ansari. Treat. Yo. Self. We all need to decompress after exams, a long day or a rough experience in the hospital and we deserve it! Relish that down time and indulge yourself. Spending time with friends, working out at the gym, staying in and watching Netflix or grabbing your favorite take-out are just examples of how to chill out. I like the work hard-play hard approach; 4-5 days of school and 2-3 days off. I am that much more excited Monday mornings and blast Friday when the time comes. All in moderation of course.
No one says it better than Aziz Ansari. Treat. Yo. Self. We all need to decompress after exams, a long day or a rough experience in the hospital and we deserve it! Relish that down time and indulge yourself. Spending time with friends, working out at the gym, staying in and watching Netflix or grabbing your favorite take-out are just examples of how to chill out. I like the work hard-play hard approach; 4-5 days of school and 2-3 days off. I am that much more excited Monday mornings and blast Friday when the time comes. All in moderation of course.
5.
Ask
for Help
I get it. We’re in a competitive nursing program and we’re entering patients where patients’ lives are on the line. This information alone starts as a ball of stress that ends in an anxiety attack or crying into my pillow at night. “I’m getting the B, not the A. Am I good enough to be here?” “I’m going to fail the NCLEX.” “What if I give my patients too much Digoxin or Insulin?” I wish I were joking when I say that these thoughts have crossed my mind one too many times. With the help of my amazing friends both in and out of nursing school and the Wellness Center, I’ve fortunately been able to work through much of my stress and anxiety. If you need help, seek it. If your fellow nursing students, friends or family can’t calm you down, there are many resources at NYU and beyond that can help. You’re not alone, you’re not crazy and you can get through this.
I get it. We’re in a competitive nursing program and we’re entering patients where patients’ lives are on the line. This information alone starts as a ball of stress that ends in an anxiety attack or crying into my pillow at night. “I’m getting the B, not the A. Am I good enough to be here?” “I’m going to fail the NCLEX.” “What if I give my patients too much Digoxin or Insulin?” I wish I were joking when I say that these thoughts have crossed my mind one too many times. With the help of my amazing friends both in and out of nursing school and the Wellness Center, I’ve fortunately been able to work through much of my stress and anxiety. If you need help, seek it. If your fellow nursing students, friends or family can’t calm you down, there are many resources at NYU and beyond that can help. You’re not alone, you’re not crazy and you can get through this.
Do you have your own
tips for dealing with stress in nursing school and beyond? Let us know below!
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