Help!!!!

Mar 02, 2009 11:41 AM

by littlenursingmommy

I have tears streaming down my face as we speak.

I just got home from my second day of clinicals, (first day we actually handle patients) and I have serious doubts that I'm cut out for this job. (I'm a nursing major, and doing my STNA at the moment.)

I did just fine with all of my other skills, like feeding, changing, transferring, etc. but my mind COMPLETELY spaced while giving a bed bath to a very large woman. I'm a tiny girl, and I had a lot of trouble turning her. I also had trouble remembering some pretty important details, and basically, I got my head ripped off. (Rightfully so.)

This is my first stepping stone toward my nursing career, and I'm already failing. I passed my lecture portion with flying colors, but clinicals are giving me hell. I've never wanted something so badly in my entire life, and I can't believe I'm saying it, but I'm almost ready to just switch to something else. If I struggle so badly from the very beginning, what hope is there for me when I get into the hellish nursing program??? (That is, IF I get into the hellish nursing program.)

Did anyone else experience this?? If so, will SOMEONE tell me that it gets better?

miiszkim0711 · Mar 02, 2009, 11:56 AM

Re: Help!!!!

Aww don't fret. Its sort of overwhelming when its your first time so keep that in mind. Most of the patients we worked with were extremely small but the couple of them that were larger, we helped each other in order to get the job done. It was sort of hard because the ones that were heavy also have dementia & they didn't have a clue as to what we were doing so they put up a fight. My advice to you is to just learn from this experience & go in there tomorrow with a can-do attitude, because I believe you can do it! You just had a rough first time. Good luck & don't give up!!

myfirst_cna_job · Mar 02, 2009, 12:08 PM

Re: Help!!!!

Hi, I got my first CNA job in a hospital and I am having some problems too. I am scared if they're going to let me go because my husband got laid off a year now and still can't find a job. And I'm the only one is working. I am still nervous at work because I'm scared I'll make mistakes then they will let me go.

I took care of big people too and I'm still nervous especially when no one's gonna help me turning the patient while bathing them...I am trying very hard to have a can-do attitude since this is my very first CNA job...and I am planning to proceed to nursing.

It still scares me if I make mistakes...

azcna · Mar 02, 2009, 12:29 PM

Re: Help!!!!

Just remember, everyone makes mistakes. Health care is not perfect! Doctors, nurses, technicians...we all mess up. You can only do so much. So just try your best, and you will be fine!

As far as turning heavy patients, if you cannot find help, just do the best you can without injuring yourself. You will get much stronger with time, and find ways to turn people easier. Promise!

myfirst_cna_job · Mar 02, 2009, 05:09 PM

Re: Help!!!!

Thanks, I am still on probation and prayed so hard that it will be a successful 90 days probation....I am the only hope of my family right now.. :-(

care_baer · Mar 02, 2009, 06:23 PM

Re: Help!!!!

My emotions were all over the place my first week of clinicals. I left in tears a few times thinking to myself is this right for me, and I found out it was. I cared about the residents. It does get better and you get more confidence. As far as turning large patients use your leg power, not your arms and back. It's amazing how much strength you get once you use proper body mechanics, and you will also get stronger in time. In the mean time have someone help you turn if it's to difficult. If you don't have a back, then you don't have a job.

itsmyturn · Mar 02, 2009, 06:33 PM

Re: Help!!!!

How big are these people...do they require more than one person to move? Are they unconscious? If you need help then that is o.k., there should not be anyone to put you down for this. We had two guys in our clinical group and right off the bat I made a pact with them. If I needed them I could call and if they needed me I would be there. Nursing is about team work and lots of it sometimes. And, your only on the second day...your gonna black out sometimes, it will be fine. Most of your training is on the job so you can't expect to be perfect...if you were they would mold you and just place you in a box and sell you instead of training people to do the job! If it makes you feel any better, I had been in clinicals about a month and my dumb a$# self wrapped a bp on inside out! All the time thinking, "well, isn't that nice that they put the arrows for the artery on the outside of the wrap too...not! In front of my instructor, who laughed and said "a little nervous are you?" (all right people, stop laughing I can hear you out there...)

Ness1019 · Mar 02, 2009, 07:21 PM

Re: Help!!!!

Hi littlenursingmommy,

I know how you feel - I only had my first day of clinicals and was totally freaked out just by the enviorment. I spoke with my professor about it and she relayed that it is completely normal!

Just hang in there - there are also some great threads that helped me a lot - with members explaining how almost all of them were scared and freaked at one time or another. Completely Normal and not an indicator of your suitability for the profession.

All sources say - hang in there and it will get easier! It helped me a lot to know others felt the way I did at first! - Including you! lol

Katie89 · Mar 02, 2009, 07:29 PM

Re: Help!!!!

You are not failing. You're okay. I know because I felt the exact same way many times- the first day (first couple of days actually) of my clicinals, the first couple days of my first job, etc. It feels really overwhelming at first when you're just learning to do something, but by the end of the week I'm laughing at myself for thinking of quitting, because once you get used to it you'll find it's not all that hard. You're just inexperienced and nervous, everything will not go smoothly right away and you can't expect it to. But it will get better, you will get better. Just keep at it and it will get easier and easier each time you do it. The change happens fast-- the important thing is that your heart is in it. Good luck, I know you will get there.

TampaTech · Mar 02, 2009, 11:03 PM

Re: Help!!!!

People you juts have to calm down. My first CNA jobwas in the hospital, there are certain skills that will come only with time and by trial and error sometimes. If you are unsure or need help, you HAVE TO ASK. People will have more respect for you when you ask and get it done right then doing it wrong and having someone else ending up fixing it. But let me tell you one thing. There are two dofferent ways of teaching in nursing. What they want you to do on the testing and then there is the real world. There is no right anf wring way to give a bath...but use common sense people dont clean a dirty pari area then wipe the face down with the same rag...always do peri areas last tho....that ois what I do so i dont get any poopie on the pt's faces or anywhere else...lol

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