Do you still get nervous?

Dixen81 · Dec 7, 2003

I'm finishing up my first semester, too. I usually am fine in clinicals till my instructor walks in; THEN I'm nervous!! :eek:

angelac1978 · Dec 7, 2003

I still get nervous going in to a patient's room to do a portable x-ray or to take them down to the department, kinda feel like I am invading their space or something. But man, once they get on my turf I am good to go. Now ask me next semester when I have to learn to do injections and venipuntures and it might be a different story! :eek:

A

road runner2003 · Dec 7, 2003

I can't help - only completed 1 week of clinical - - - I did finish up or so it felt, looking like I just finished a marathon the 1st day. I get nervous/anxious and I SWEAT ! . . . a lot . . .

Dixen81 · Dec 7, 2003

Originally posted by road runner2003
I can't help - only completed 1 week of clinical - - - I did finish up or so it felt, looking like I just finished a marathon the 1st day. I get nervous/anxious and I SWEAT ! . . . a lot . . .

It will get better, I promise. I remember I actually sweat and felt the same way the first clinical. The next one will be much better! :kiss

road runner2003 · Dec 7, 2003

True- It was not so bad the 3rd/4th day. I know we are prepared for it - - - I am feeling more anxious about 2nd/3rd/4th yr when our clinical placements become broader - not solely the non-acute care setting.

CaliNurs06, best wishes to you - hope all gets better.

chris_at_lucas_RN, RN · Dec 7, 2003

Hey--fourth semester (of five) nursing student here, and a former jitter-er!

I found the more I did, the more competent I became, thus the less nervous and less jittery.

A couple of things I did that seemed to make a difference:

When I knocked on the door, I expected that the patient was looking foward to seeing me. That helped me feel sort of "wanted."

I greet my patients with a smile, I tell them good morning (or whatever) and introduce myself. After all, this is not primarily a social event, BUT whenever two humans meet, there is social interaction.

I touch my patients. If I am standing next to the bed and talking with them, I often take their hand. The obvious exception would be if this were an opposite sex patient who, under other circumstances, might be a "candidate," then I know in my gut (as I'm sure the patient does) that other limits apply. But I can still pat them on the shoulder or the foot through the covers, or whatever. But I make a point to touch them IF it feels OK to do that (gut feeling is important--trust yours).

I tell my patients every time I am going to do something. Including if I am going to reposition them: I tell them what and why, and then I tell them how, which usually includes something like "you can help by doing [whatever]." It may just be crossing their arms and giving themselves a hug so we can pull them up in the bed or something like that.

I might even tell them, now I'm just going to pick up your room a little bit, or let me straighten out that sheet. It takes away the fear of the unknown, so they relax.

I guess it boils down to this: let your nursing care be embedded in warm interaction with your patient--you will feel better, they will feel better.

And that's really the point of it, right?

(Keep in mind, if you didn't worry about these things, you shouldn't be in nursing. You are where you belong.)

Carolanne · Dec 7, 2003

Guess what, I expect to graduate in May and I still get the butterflies over things - procedures, difficult dressing changes, difficult patients! But if we didn't get nervous sometimes, then I think that's the time to worry. I've seen nurses just blow in and start flipping patients around and not seem to care whether they moan or scream out or not. That's when I start to worry. We're nervous because we care and want to do well, and that's what's important. I have a little trick I use - I pretend I've known the patient already, like they're a relative or a neighbor, and that seems to crack the ice for me. Then the conversation gets rolling and the warm smiles start to exchange and that makes all the nursing tasks much more easier! You'll learn your little tricks and tips too, just takes time. You'll be fine!

Yellow Rose RN · Dec 8, 2003

Beleive me that it will get better. Especially if your program has opportunities to become more indepentdent as the semesters progress. You will feel confident eventually.... I promise.

Hang in there and remember that we have all felt the same way!

Sha

talullahmae · May 25, 2004

I hope to start clinicals next semester and I'm sure I'll be as nervous as the rest. I just get nervous thinking about it. How do you handle the stress? :uhoh3:

mariedoreen · May 25, 2004

I'm starting the core nursing program in September and I know the closer I get the more nervous I'll get. When I took my CNA class last summer tho I was very nervous about clinicals. My motto got to be "Nothing to it but to do it." And actually for some strange reason that seemed to help. I agree with everyone else, the more you do something the more confident you feel in your ability to handle the task at hand... so since you're constantly learning new things from one term to the next in nursing school there will probably always be some source of anxiety at any given time that you can't shake simply because you're constanly taking on something new. My game plan will just be to show up and learn and do the best I can and to above all realize that the feelings of nervousness are normal and will eventually fade.. Also, I think it's critical to realize that so many others feel exactly the same way we do! Sometimes when we're so nervous we worry that it means we're attempting to do something we shouldn't be doing, but nothing worthwhile comes all that easy. Continue On! One day you'll be so glad you fought through all those jitters!

Dixiedi · May 25, 2004

My first semester is coming to an end, but I still get the clinical gitters. I still have this fear in clinicals when it comes to giving patients their AM care and VS. There are still times(not EVERYTIME) when I get nervous knocking on thier door or do my assessment or even touching them (fearing I might hurt them). I know we are there to take care of them, but I still get nervous re-positioning them, dressing changes, turning them over to make the bed, bathing them, or even fearing that I might pull on an IV or catheter. I mean, one little 'ouch' or moan from a patient still gets my heart pumping.
Is this normal? Does anyone still feel like this or did you guys get over it? How long did it take everyone else to get over this fear?
I know I should be more assertive and be more confidient, but it seems as though my nervousness gets me and I break down. Any other words of advise so next semester I won't get so nervous.
Thanks

It will go away when you find your own legs. When you feel more comfortable performing these activities and are comfortable with seeing all sorts of people with their "frillies" hanging out the jitters will go away.

I remember being very nervous about putting a urinary cath in a man. It certainly did not help me that he was confused and slapped my hand reprimanding that nice young ladies didn't do that sort of thing. I had told him what I was going to do but he apparently did not understand and I was not being a nice young lady!