{"id":2610,"date":"2022-02-20T15:49:00","date_gmt":"2022-02-20T15:49:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/evolve.elsevier.com\/studentlife\/?post_type=blog-post&p=2610"},"modified":"2022-02-28T18:20:40","modified_gmt":"2022-02-28T18:20:40","slug":"overcoming-pre-shift-anxiety","status":"publish","type":"blog-post","link":"https:\/\/evolve.elsevier.com\/studentlife\/blog-post\/overcoming-pre-shift-anxiety\/","title":{"rendered":"Overcoming Pre-Shift Anxiety"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Written by Cloe Sloan<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I remember it like it was yesterday. I hopped out of bed and quickly changed into my scrubs, eager, yet nervous to start my day shift as a care aide. I finished packing my lunch and decided to glance briefly at my watch before heading out for the day. I couldn\u2019t believe it – my pre-shift anxiety had gotten the best of me that I woke up four hours before my alarm!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When talking with other health care workers, it seems as though pre-shift anxiety is extremely common, yet I don\u2019t feel like it is talked about enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thankfully, I was able to learn from my experiences and come up with a few tips to help calm those nerves and have a successful shift!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are a few tips:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make a Routine:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Have a routine before your shift. Go to sleep early, do your self-care routine (have a bubble bath, put on a face mask, or drink a hot cup of tea). Feeling relaxed before going to sleep will allow you to have a much better night\u2019s rest. Prepare your outfit, pack your lunch and bag the night before so you\u2019re ready to go in the morning and have less to stress about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Focus on What You Can Control:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

I always get nervous about the little things when first starting a job or haven\u2019t worked in awhile. It helps me to make a list of all the things I am nervous about, and cross out the things I can\u2019t control and encircle the things I can. I look at the things that I encircled and think about ways that I can ease my fears. When I first started as a care aide last summer, I had my orientation days at a very specific entrance and I was terrified at finding it and getting there on time. The night before, I drove there and found the specific entrance so that in the morning I would feel more confident about where to go. My pre-shift anxiety didn\u2019t go away completely but it lessened it significantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Positive Self-talk:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Pre-shift anxiety often stems from negative self-talk. For example, saying things like: \u201cI can\u2019t do this\u201d or \u201cI don\u2019t know anything\u201d will only add to the stress you\u2019re already feeling. It\u2019s not easy but when we reframe our mindset and say things such as \u201cI\u2019m looking forward to learning new skills,\u201d and \u201cI can\u2019t wait to help others out today,\u201d we are setting ourselves up for success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Find Supportive Co-workers:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Hopefully, you will quickly be able to find co-workers in your unit who are supportive and who will help you out when you need it. Ask them all your questions; they know that we don\u2019t know everything and are nervous. Remind yourself that it\u2019s better to ask a million questions rather than make a big mistake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These tips have helped me throughout my clinical and work shifts. My pre-shift anxiety still isn\u2019t completely gone and I\u2019m not sure if it will ever go away, but it definitely is minimized when I follow these tips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Starting a new job is hard, but you\u2019re coming into the field with the latest knowledge and resources, making you an asset to your team. Best of luck!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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