Is This Right For Me?

[ptspook1]

I am in my last half of my very 1st semester of Nursing school. Everytime I have to go into clinical I can't sleep the night before, I feel like I am going to vomit and the room spins while I am there, about 3 hours into clinical the vomit feeling and the spinning finally stops. I dont know if this is normal... do many people feel this way. Is this just something I am not meant to do?

I cant say that I enjoyed having an elderly lady tell me "I dont care if I poop my pants, Because I dont have to clean it up, YOU do." It was so tough for me walking into rooms with people on trach's and feeding tubes who were so contracted that you can't even move their arms or legs. Changing a Stage 4 pressure Ulcer that you could litterally fit 2 1/2 fists into and see muscles contract inside the sore to move or pass gas on us as we were changing the dressing.

I hate feeling dumb and inadequate all the time... its like Nursing Boot Camp!

Then there are days that you come away and someone thanks you! Or says you will be a good nurse!

But when do you know that its just not for you?

Thanks!

[Ni_Ni]

I think you should stick it out. I just finished my last clinical for the ADN-RN program. I don't think I ever got more than an hour sleep the night before going to clinicals. There was actually a couple times this year that I felt like I was going to pass out while I was working with a patient. The first time was when I was taking a central line out of a patient, and I had never done it before. All I kept thinking was, if I messed up this patient could get an air embolism and die! I made it through with out passing out and am so grateful for the experience. There are always going to be patients that thank you for what you've done for them and there are always going to be those patients that thanking a nurse ever crosses their mind.

I think you should stick it out. The reward of helping people feels great. And when you do have the patient's that are truly grateful and say so, it makes up for all those a**holes that don't.

Don't give up, it will get better!

[jla623]

Tylenol PM! That's what I do! I sleep like a baby.

I was having that problem and it was awful because I would be so tired all day and by the time I got home 12 hours later I would fall asleep in the couch!

[NewinMA]

I just graduated but let me tell you that I felt the same way especially during the first semester and during the psych rotation....I said if you enjoy helping people you should keep on going. Personally it helped me a lot to work as a CNA to feel more confident in my clinicals and about the sleep try Melatonin (they sell it at GNC)

Good luck :nuke:

[Wondergirl0905]

I hate feeling dumb and inadequate all the time... its like Nursing Boot Camp!

OMG! - Nursing Boot Camp is my favorite saying!!! I keep telling myself that we just need to get through all the bull**** and then start the real stuff. I just finished my first week of clinicals and it was a pretty uncomfortable experience. I also hate feeling dumb and inadequate - it's like being in a foreign country where you don't know your way around or speak the language! Especially for really simple tasks that once you go to do don't seem so simple all of a sudden (like repositioning patients - I feel so awkward!!) And there's nothing like cleaning up poop and having the patient fart practically in your face! I guess we just need to hang in there - good luck!!

[shann106]

It is Boot Camp. It sucks, but I have to beleive that it will get better