A nursing career can be deeply rewarding and meaningful, but the path to get there isn’t easy. Nursing school is incredibly demanding in its expectations of students. Students must balance intense studies with examinations and clinical rotations, often at a breakneck pace. Along with these pressures, students also face the emotional challenges of caring for people at their most vulnerable.
All these pressures can take a significant toll on one’s mental health. Nursing students often feel stretched past their limits, reporting high rates of burnout, anxiety, and depression. Chronic stress and sleep problems can worsen such issues. Understanding these conditions, as well as coping strategies and treatment options, can help nursing students protect their well-being throughout their studies and career.
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Why Nursing School Can Take Such an Emotional Toll
Few programs combine as many pressures as nursing school. Nursing students often experience significant academic stress due to difficult coursework and assessments. Extensive studying and testing make time management difficult, not to mention rotations. Nursing students face these pressures alongside other responsibilities outside of school.
The clinical side of nursing education can be just as stressful as the academics. Some studies show a direct link between a student’s stress and their amount of weekly clinical work. This extends beyond mere exhaustion. Students in clinical rotations often face difficult and upsetting situations, including traumatic events like patient deaths or family crises. These may be expected as part of a nursing job, but that doesn’t make them any easier to experience. As such, symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder are common in nurses.
Over time, these factors can develop into significant burnout, anxiety, or depression. Burnout involves a combination of emotional and physical exhaustion due to ongoing stress. Anxiety over one’s academics or abilities can lead to excessive worry, ruminating, or physical symptoms. Finally, depression can arise in response to emotional overload and self-doubt.
Burnout in Nursing Students: Causes and Signs
Burnout occurs when ongoing stress isn’t managed or relieved. For nursing students, that stress often stems from academic pressure and the need to constantly care for others. Burnout involves extreme exhaustion and withdrawal from one’s studies. It can also lead to cynicism about nursing as a career, alongside a host of physical and mental health issues. Studies estimate that at least 1 in 5 nursing students experience burnout, with women being especially susceptible.
The American Nurses Association notes that burnout may look like:
- Mental and physical exhaustion that doesn’t improve with rest
- Mental distance and cynicism about nursing
- Reduced efficacy in the workplace
- Feeling consistently overworked or too tired to go to work
- Feeling unappreciated or like your work doesn’t matter
- Trouble sleeping, body tension, or depression
Burnout often results from outside pressure over an extended period of time, so it’s not always possible to address it completely on one’s own. However, certain strategies can help. The ANA recommends discussing your shift schedule with a supervisor to ensure you get enough rest. Physical activity is important, as is eating regular, nutritious meals before and during one’s shifts. Students can develop a support system, whether made up of coworkers or an outside mental health professional. The ANA also notes the importance of breaks from work, whether in the form of disconnecting for a while or scheduling vacation time.
Anxiety in Nursing School: Strategies That Can Help
Wherever someone is in their nursing education, there are many potential sources of anxiety. For instance, first-year students may feel anxious over their academic courses, while someone further in the program may worry more about their clinical performance or prospects after graduation. Chamberlain University notes that some anxiety is to be expected in nursing school. However, excessive anxiety can harm one’s emotional and physical health. The Mayo Clinic notes that constant feelings of worry or restlessness signal an anxiety issue. On the physical side, students may experience sleep issues, a racing heartbeat, or an upset stomach.
Managing anxiety is critical for nursing students. Chamberlain University recommends strategies that include:
- Taking regular time-outs for self-care activities, like listening to music or practicing yoga
- Limiting one’s caffeine and alcohol intake
- Accepting that you can’t control everything and focusing only on what you can
- Prioritizing good sleep hygiene and a regular sleep schedule
- Identifying your major triggers and sources of anxiety
- Talking to friends, family, or loved ones about your anxiety
If worry begins to interfere with your daily life or performance in your studies, it is worth talking to a professional rather than pushing through alone.
Depression in Nursing Students: Managing Difficult Feelings
Depression is unfortunately common among nursing students, with some studies showing that over a third of nursing students experience depression. Stress can significantly contribute to depression, especially chronic stress over time. Many nursing students don’t feel they have time for proper self-care, which can make depression more likely to develop. The emotional tolls of caring for others may also contribute to depression over time.
The Mayo Clinic notes that depression commonly involves lasting feelings of sadness and low interest, along with symptoms like fatigue, changes in sleep or appetite, and trouble concentrating. In nursing school, depression may take the form of withdrawing from coworkers or struggling to study for tests. Harvard Health notes that depression can also affect attention and information processing, which can make already challenging studies feel impossible.
NurseJournal offers some helpful strategies for managing depression in nursing school. These include:
- Finding an online or in-person support network of peers
- Engaging in brief self-care, like 10-minute walks or slow breathing exercises
- Using mindfulness meditation or journaling
- Joining a church or spiritual group
- Seeking a mental health counselor
Why Nursing Students Often Don’t Ask for Help
Despite these high rates of mental health challenges, many nurses do not get the help they need. Tulsa University notes that two-thirds of surveyed nurses did not receive support for their mental health. They note multiple reasons for this. A majority of surveyed nurses believe that mental health challenges come with a stigma in the profession, with over 90% feeling that mental health is not treated as a priority. Many nursing students and nurses feel that lack of time makes treatment inaccessible. Financial barriers are also common, as are worries over job security.
These are all real concerns, but they shouldn’t stop anyone from seeking help if they’re struggling. Recognizing one’s symptoms and seeking care is a sign of good judgment. It’s also necessary if one wants to take proper care of others.
How Professional Treatment Can Help Nursing Students
Burnout, anxiety, and depression are all treatable. Early support can prevent symptoms from deepening and help students stay on track with their goals. Plus, treatment doesn’t have to be expensive or time-intensive. Nursing students may be able to access affordable or free mental health support through their program or its parent university.
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) notes that anxiety disorders are generally treated with psychotherapy, medication, or both, with similar options available for depression. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is one common therapeutic approach that can help students identify unhealthy thought patterns and replace them with more balanced thinking. Therapy can also build practical skills for managing clinical stress and coping with perfectionism or self-blame.
These skills can prove invaluable, both during a mental health crisis and throughout one’s career as a student and nurse. In addition to one’s own mental health, these skills can give nurses deeper insight into their patients’ emotional well-being. A greater familiarity with mental health can help nurses provide better care for their patients.
Mental health treatment can help nursing students manage difficult feelings and cope with stress. It can also help students replace unhealthy habits, like turning to alcohol or illicit substances to unwind or escape. Mental health conditions and substance use often occur together. In such cases, treatment must address both to support lasting recovery.
For students who need more than occasional weekly appointments, an outpatient program can provide structured, intensive support while allowing one to keep up with their daily responsibilities. Many programs offer flexible schedules to fit varied needs.
Find Support for Your Mental Health at Luna Recovery for Women
If you are struggling with burnout or suspect you may be facing depression or anxiety, help is available. Your campus counseling center, student health service, primary care provider, or therapist can help you understand what you’re experiencing and determine what support may be appropriate.
If an outpatient mental health program seems like the right fit for your needs, we are here to help. Luna Recovery for Women is proud to offer women-centered mental health and addiction treatment that empowers women to heal in a compassionate, supportive, and understanding environment.
To learn more about treatment options, please contact Luna Recovery for Women at (888) 491-3722 today.