Starting Clinicals and Having Anxiety - Page 2

I know how you feel. I have 6 weeks left in first semester and today was my first breakdown day. I never imagined it'd be this much work, despite what everyone told me. I knew it wouldn't be a piece of cake or anything but wow. Anyways, I'm just trying to stick with the saying, you can do anything you put your mind to. Just hang in there, hah I need to tell myself that OVER AND OVER. It'll probably be the best thing we, or at least I, will ever do for myself. I know it's tough to do because I am to the point where I'm like if FIRST semester is this hard imagine next semester and the one after that. I just hope it all works out. Let me know how it goes I am going to try my HARDEST to stay in, the only way i'm done is if i fail out ha. At least you have support with your classmates, hopefully, because they all know exactly what your going through too. My teacher told us to fake it until you actually know what your doing and I've found that it goes a lot smoother if you do that, then people aren't so nervous because they can sense that, and it actually gives you some confidence (not much but a little haha). Well, better get back to studying before bed, good luck and I wish you the best, I'm feeling exactly like you are right now so you aren't alone!!!! sucks, i know.

I just joined this forum today because I was searching frantically for something to help my rising terror/anxiety/panic of the start of my second semester in 10 days (traditional nursing program). <br><br>At the start of last semester I was so elated because I got into the nursing program of my choice! I'm an older student; career redirect after corporate world layoff, but my interest in medicine/nursing resurfaced. I had been a nursing assistant after high school and was headed towards nursing but 'had a long detour'. I've had a lot of academic experience but never finished a degree program - got my associate's but never my bachelor's. Anyway, I felt confident when starting nursing school (and my 3 years of experience as CNA in a hospital). <br><br>How incredibly unprepared I was for those instructors that, as someone else put it, "eat their nurslings."<br><br>Cut to the chase: In my final clinical evaluation my CI told me I would never be a med/surg nurse in a hospital and that maybe I could work in a doctor's office. This particular instructor is loathed by almost all my fellow students. I really felt singled out by her as I asked the other students my clinical group about how she rated them and such. I did finally wise up about mid-semester and when she would call me out I would reply back in a very inquisitive way like "Why do you think this 'error' happened and what can I do to change it?" But before I wised up I outright asked her why she didn't like me - OMG, an invitation for further bullying; how stupid is that?<br><br>I would like to thank everyone that has shared their stories and the feedback from the RNs that had their CIs tell them they would never be a nurse. I love working with the patients on my clinical rotation. I worked with RNs on the unit that were encouraging teachers and others that pretty much treated students as annoying gnats.<br><br>Thank you for giving me hope and I feel my skin starting to thicken in preparation for my semester. How ironic it is that I made straight A's last semester yet "you'll never be a med/surg nurse at a hospital".&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;

Hi all -- We just finished our nursing home rotation. I am a first semester older nursing student. During a free moment, we are allowed to practice blood pressures on eachother. At home mine is usually 118/60 but at the clinical site it is closer to 150/90. Is this of concern?

BREATHE! As others have mentioned you are not the only one having this anxiety. I remember when I first started I was terrified haha...but it will get easier. This is all new to you and unless you have had previous experience in a hospital/LTC setting working as a CNA or something else, you can't really compare this to anything. Good luck!