Opinion | Navigating mental health during nursing school

When I first started nursing school, I knew I would be in for the ride of my life. I knew that nursing school would involve taking challenging classes, studying for hours on end and being put through the wringer. But what I didn’t anticipate was how this would heavily affect my mental health. Even now, halfway through my third semester of nursing school, I still find it difficult to manage nursing school and live my life to the fullest. 

Coming into this semester, I knew what I was getting myself into. From having to take pathophysiology, pharmacology and now being in the hospital once a week for clinical, I am in fight-or-flight mode 24/7. It feels like there is never a time when I’m not stressed out. Even when I’m trying to give myself time to relax, I can’t help but think about the work that needs to be done. 

Nursing school has made me start to live in a state of anxiety, and I know that it’s not good for my mental health or my physical health. There are times when I can’t sleep because my brain won’t stop thinking about the exam I have the next morning, or my stomach hurts for weeks on end simply because of all the stress that’s happening in my life. 

I am well aware that this is no state to live in, but I can’t seem to escape this cycle of constant anxiety. In this day and age, mental health is regarded to be much more important than it once was. Many realize that when your mental health is bad, you can’t live life to its truest potential. This is something that most of the world has seemed to accept, but in nursing school, I feel like this is overlooked. 

If you go to social media and find other nursing students from anywhere in the country, you will see that it is not uncommon to be stressed out and depressed while you are in nursing school. Even among my peers, I find these themes of diminishing mental health to be quite common. I find that so odd because why are we as future medical professionals made to work so much and so hard that we are suffering? How can we expect to take care of others when we don’t even have the time to take care of ourselves?

The entire basis of nursing is learning how to take care of people and advocate for them and their health. When a nurse gets a patient, that person becomes their priority. It’s sad to see that nursing schools don’t have that same priority for their students. While I understand that Pitt has other concerns, its number one should be the well-being of its students. 

For me, mental health has always been a struggle. I have a hard time finding a balance between my work and relaxation. But I also find it hard to stay motivated and do my work. There are some days when all I can do is work because I’m afraid of my grades slipping. If I’m not doing work, I’ll feel guilty over the fact that I’m taking time away from my schoolwork when I could be using that time to study. 

On the other side of that spectrum, there are days when I can’t find the motivation to study or get out of bed. Sometimes after a hard couple of weeks, I’ve completely exhausted both my mind and my body to the point where being in bed is the only thing I can do. When I’ve lost all motivation, I get into bad habits like skipping class or putting off assignments until the last minute.  

Even though being in nursing school is hard, it’s something that I prayed and cried for. I’ve never wanted anything more in my life, and I think this is where my negative mindsets come from. I want to prove to myself that I belong here and make the people who support me proud. My biggest fear is not living up to the expectations of the people who have consistently believed in me.  

These unhealthy ways of thinking follow me and plague my mind so often. It’s hard to get out of the mindset that you’ve gotten used to because they occur so often. This is something that I want to change because I know how much it affects me. I want to be more than just my negative thoughts and my inner saboteur. I’m not perfect, and I learn every day how to better myself and put myself first. 

Right now, my favorite thing to do for my mental health is journaling. When school starts to get too tough and I can feel myself on the brink of a crash out, I pull out my journal and write. It’s been a good way to express my feelings and not keep them in. Another thing I like to do is to set timers for my study sessions. This helps me to not study too much but also gives me enough time to be productive. 

Pitt also has plenty of resources for people who are looking to manage their mental health. If you didn’t already know, Pitt has its very own counseling center. They can easily set you up with a therapist and cater to each student’s unique needs. For my fellow nursing students, we actually have our own counselor, Kevan Schneider. If you feel like you need outside help due to your mental health, never feel ashamed to get it. These resources are here to be used and to help you. 

I don’t want to wait until I’ve graduated to start putting myself first. Even if all the stress and work that I’m putting myself through will be worth it, I want my life to be worth it now. I want to live a life I won’t regret when I’m 60 years old. I’m 19 years old, and I have a right to be fun and crazy without guilt because I have an exam next week. Yes, my future matters, but my present is what I’m focused on now. 

Life will go on if I don’t study for eight hours in a row or if I fail an exam or miss an assignment. Life will go on if I decide to sleep in instead of going to Hillman that morning. My mental health is much more than my GPA and much more than any grade I get in any class. I would rather be emotionally sound than get a 100% on any exam. Mental health matters, and so do you — never let anyone tell you otherwise. 

Danae Poteat writes primarily about pop culture and current events. Write to her at dmp152@pitt.edu.