scaredy-cat

danaRN2b · Feb 26, 2005

I have a silly question, but I am hoping to get some answers!!
I start my ADN program pretty soon and I am very nervous about giving shots/taking blood. I have never done anything like it before and that scares me. What if I can't do it?? I have no problem watching it done. I think it is soo interesting. I was just wondering if anyone else was nervous about this before starting nursing school? If not this, what were you nervous about? I hope I am not alone!

Don't feel bad...I never had any kind of experience in the medical field before I started nursing school last fall. I was nervous about the whole shot thing, too, but all you can do is just jump in and do it!! After the first one it isn't so bad. I've given a whopping TWO shots now, but the second one was a piece of cake! As for drawing blood, I get to try that for the first time next Wednesday, so I'll let you know how that works out, LOL. Hang in there.

purplekath · Feb 26, 2005

By the time you've given sponge baths, showered heaps of folks, cleaned up pooh and the myriad of other basic nursing skills, you'll be FINE with the shots and the bloods!! There is something about clinicals that prepares you for those things you are most scared of. You'll be find :-)

ganursechick, BSN, RN · Feb 26, 2005

:rolleyes: You will do just fine. I think that we all have something out there that we are scared of, and some things that we just cant handle. Heck I just finished my lpn and my instructor has her Phd. and cant handle poop! She wears 3 pairs of gloves and then walks around the rest of the day with hand sanitizer squirting it on herself!

As far as giving shots, it does get easier as time goes along. I was nervous for the first one, but once that one was over, I was jumping to give more. I liked the days that we got to be med nurse, we got to give all the meds to all the patients, and that gave us a lot of experience!

Drawing blood is not tooo bad, you just have to get the hang of it. I have done it, because we have to work so many hours in the lab as part of clinicals, and it seemed like everyone we treated in the ER was having blood drawn so it got to be easy too....

You will do just fine! Good luck!

Student_Nurse_WV · Feb 26, 2005

Don't feel bad...I never had any kind of experience in the medical field before I started nursing school last fall. I was nervous about the whole shot thing, too, but all you can do is just jump in and do it!! After the first one it isn't so bad. I've given a whopping TWO shots now, but the second one was a piece of cake! As for drawing blood, I get to try that for the first time next Wednesday, so I'll let you know how that works out, LOL. Hang in there.

Thanks guys! I don't feel as bad anymore :)

DanaRN2b- let me know how drawing blood works out!

hoping to be an rn, ADN · Mar 1, 2005

omg my first shot i was so scared the nurse i was following asked me if i was hypoglycemic i was shaking soooooo bad, ha ha, but this semester i have gotten more confident and started an iv and drew blood this is normal to feel this way once you get a little more confident you will be doing them i no time on my subq shot i pinch up the skin pretty tight so they will feel the pinch of the skin and not the needle then i insert it like throwing a dart the patients always say i give a good shot good luck

bonjovigirl · Mar 2, 2005

I remember the first shot I gave. I felt like I was 10 years old walking into my patients room

It was SOOOOOOOOO easy. By far, the easiest task I learned to do. Now I haven't felt too bad since, but recently I had to put in an NG tube in a completely alert guy who really didn't want it. He was crying, I almost did too. By far the worst thing I had to do. (and I even dealt with C-diff a million times)

Just remember, you are capable of so much more than you think you are.

klone, MSN, RN · Mar 2, 2005

I've found that the best way for certain things to become less daunting is when you have MORE daunting things that you're expected to do. Last semester, the idea of giving any kind of injection really freaked me out. Now, it seems more mundane simply because now I'm expected to start IVs. :uhoh3:

Yesterday I had the opportunity to start an IV and at teh last minute I chickened out and asked my instructor to do it, instead.

Mission · Mar 2, 2005

I did my BCLS certification before I even finished my nursing school apps. I remember I was scared the whole time I was going to do something wrong with the dummy and the instructor had to coax me through the whole class. I think I was just nervous because everyone else in the class was already an RN.

DenaInWyo · Mar 2, 2005

I started out with no health care experience either. Heck, I got nervous to the point of sweaty palms and shakes just taking vitals! Something about the combination of invading someone's personal space along with the extreme pressure put on myself to get it right..

Shots are really not that bad..once you hold your breath and jump the first time, it's a ton easier after that. My first shot on someone other than a fellow student was a sweet little old man..lovenox in the belly with him tapping me on the top of the head with his knuckle the whole time :chuckle

Now then, can someone tell me how easy a foley is? That's the one I'm dreading bigtime!

KrisRNwannabe · Mar 2, 2005

We practiced shots on each other in lab. everyone was very nervous but we got through it. I have given tons of shots in clinical. we did a transition unit, seems like everyone was on heparin shots. we also did a flu clinic. I have been on depo-provera for a while and give myself the injections. after awhile you get used to it. As for blood draws, they don't teach them at our school. But I work as a tech and I get to do it there. took some time but i got down. once you have done it a couple of times you are golden. For injections, like insulin and heparin, just go quick, don't hesitate. the needle is so small you can hardly feel it if you just go. good luck!!

Kris

klone, MSN, RN · Mar 2, 2005

We're not allowed to practice invasive procedures on each other.

Which is unfortunate because several of us have volunteered our arms for IV starts. I SOOO want to practice on a real human before doing it on a pt. the first time. My clinical instructor has even said that she wished we could practice on her, as did an RN at my clinical site.