MLT going into nursing

[mtngirl07]

Hello!

I am an MLT and have been working in blood bank in a very busy level one trauma unit for about 5 months. I have made several mistakes(FYI, it didn't involve giving out the wrong blood or harming patients). I feel like I am not very good at prioritizing and I get really nervous when "it" hits the fan and make mistakes. This has seriously affected my confidence in my own ability and I am terrified to start nursing school this Monday. I would like some insight from former lab people who switched careers. Can I be good at nursing if I wasn't really good at lab work?

[Cricket183, BSN, RN]

Nursing is all about prioritizing. And be assured at some point "it" will hit the fan and you can not afford to make mistakes when does because you have people's lives in your hands. BUT the good news is, you can learn these skills! That's what nursing school and your internship as a new graduate nurse will teach you. You can learn coping mechanisms to deal with anxiety and nervousness.

I'm not a MLT so I cannot offer you any advice from that perspective but we all started out not knowing. As you learn you will gain confidence in your ability and yourself. Best of luck to you!

[mtngirl07]

Thank you for your positive words. I made the mistake of not going into the field for two years after graduating because I knew I didn't really want to work in the lab and I think this hurt me. Definitely won't be doing that with nursing.