I feel so embarrassed, overwhelmed...

[cccormier]

Hi,

I am entering my first year as a nursing (BScN) student this fall and I'm suddenly worried I won't have the necessary skills or strength to be nurse (or a good one at least). I usually don't have doubts about my decision to enter this profession, and I certainly have not lost the passion for it. But today in my First Aid/CPR course (HCP level), I felt so lost!!! I listened the whole time and even wrote notes, but somehow a lot of things being taught would not stick with me! I just went blank under pressure and found it difficult to "act the part" or follow all the right steps under pressure. I know that most nurses have a LOT of pressure in their everyday lives, and I don't know if this is something that will get easier for me...

I'm also naturally nervous/awkward around other people I don't know, and so I often make a fool out of myself as a first impression.

I felt so embarrassed today. I know this does not sound like a big deal, but I feel so overwhelmed....... can I overcome this with time?

Is there a point where something just "clicks" and things get easier (in stressful situations, or under pressure)??

Thank you for any response/advice.

[chelechele]

Awww You poor thing! I think that most of us have moments like that at one point or another! I wouldn't sweat it! I too have performance anxiety especially in a room full of strangers, but look at it this way, your fellow nursing students will be in your life for the next two years so just consider them friends. Realize that EVERYONE makes mistakes and to err is human, don't be too hard on yourself you are just learning, as time goes by it will get easier! Good luck to ya!

[CrazierThanYou]

I'm beginning my senior year on Monday and believe me, I have moments when I ask myself if I have learned anything at all. I wonder if I'll know what to do in a hospital setting in a certain situation. Then, sometimes I'll find myself discussing something and I realize that I have learned a LOT since beginning this journey!

[MammaNurse2Be]

Take a deep breath and quit worrying about what others think of you. You will do great and I am sure you will have lots of your classmates looking up to you. Being human and making mistakes or being nervous is very normal. Go for it and don't look back!

[That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

When you started riding a bike, did you just get on your bike and pedal away never falling? Just like every new thing in life you have to learn it, do it, and practice it over and over for it to feel natural and not clam up. Im sure most people on this board when first learning CPR or how to do a BP or start an IV struggled in some fashion. After awhile though, you get the confidence you need to do it and do it well. Hang in there.

[Bob_N_VA]

Just wait till you start doing assessments on real patients... We all experience the same nervousness and self-doubts. It just takes time and, well, experience. You do a little bit better each time you do a skill again. Eventually they are yours. If you are naturally shy, that is something you will have to work on. Just think about it from your Pts perspective, its their body on display being poked and prodded, you get to wrap a stethoscope around you neck and look like a pro. You'll be fine, just give it time.

[Lifeofanurse]

You just had a bad day. It happens to everyone some time or another. Don't worry. No one will judge you based on ONE day..... your fine. Just keep chugging along and be that little engine that could!!!!