Difficult to learn clinical skills??

Nurses LPN/LVN

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I have a question as a pre-nursing student that may sound silly. I really want a career in nursing because I am a "giver" and love helping people, and feel it would be a rewarding career for me. The only thing is I am apprehensive about giving people injections. I am afraid I will hurt them or that I will screw up, as needles tend to make me a little nervous ( although I've experienced procedures such as amnios, biopsies, etc, and been fine!) Is it something you get a feel for eventually through practice? I imagine there are worse things I may have to do, but for some reason this task freaks me out!! Thanks for any replys!

I have a question as a pre-nursing student that may sound silly. I really want a career in nursing because I am a "giver" and love helping people, and feel it would be a rewarding career for me. The only thing is I am apprehensive about giving people injections. I am afraid I will hurt them or that I will screw up, as needles tend to make me a little nervous ( although I've experienced procedures such as amnios, biopsies, etc, and been fine!) Is it something you get a feel for eventually through practice? I imagine there are worse things I may have to do, but for some reason this task freaks me out!! Thanks for any replys!

I have never been afraid of needles myself however, when I was in medical assisting training I was terrible at phlebotomy. I got the worst grade out of all my grades, in THAT class. I nearly failed my live "stick". (that was my final where I had to bring in a volunteer and draw her blood on the first time). I did get it and then the next week we were put in clinics, each student somewhere different, and we had to do 50 successfull blood draws. Wouldn't you know, I was a pro after number 3 or so. I just "got it" at that point. When I had my evaluation, they told my nstructor I was the best student they had ever had in their clinic. I couldn't believe it. So, to answer your question, you do jut "get it" at some point. That's what school is there to do.....teach you. I still don't like to do injections and I worry about messing up and in fact I did, when I gave a baby an immunization. I was humiliated! But, you live and learn. Then you get over it and move on. I wouldnt worry so much. If you had a hard time dealing with blood and other bodily fluid, then I'd say maybe nursing isnt right for you. But, other than that, it's worth a shot! (no pun intended)

I always freak out about needles too. oh god you got me started

Hi There,

I just gave my first injections this week. I must say, I obsessed about this through the entire year, lol. I was afraid I was going to get all the way through school without ever giving one (I have three more weeks to go).

We practiced in lab last semester on practice pads. I was all thumbs drawing up the insulin, and felt pretty darn lost.I kept imagining over and over in my head that the same thing was going to happen in clinicals.And I was afraid that injecting a pad would be nothing like injecting a person.

Our instructors kept reassuring us all along that things would start to "click" toward the end of the semester. I didn't believe them, because I have absolutely NO background in healthcare. But guess what-I did GREAT when I actually drew up the insulin for my med pass!I had reviewed the night before, and I couldn't believe how calm and confident I was, LOL. I even caught something the instructor had overlooked (the instructor is absolutely AWESOME, but she was subbing for another instructor and was about as familiar with this clinical site as us students are-so it wasn't anything negative against her, just a positive for me for catching it).

So, if I can survive it, believe me, you can:) And FYI-if you use practice pads at school instead of humans-they really ARE similar to what the actual injection feels like.

I have a question as a pre-nursing student that may sound silly. I really want a career in nursing because I am a "giver" and love helping people, and feel it would be a rewarding career for me. The only thing is I am apprehensive about giving people injections. I am afraid I will hurt them or that I will screw up, as needles tend to make me a little nervous ( although I've experienced procedures such as amnios, biopsies, etc, and been fine!) Is it something you get a feel for eventually through practice? I imagine there are worse things I may have to do, but for some reason this task freaks me out!! Thanks for any replys!
Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

I was not afraid of needles because I was a phlebotomist for over 12 years, but when I first took the class, I didn't think I could do it, either. You will learn as you go. It does take practice and getting over that fear, but you will do it. In fact, I think now that giving injections is the least of the things I worried about because basically, it is stick it in, pull back to see if there is blood in the needle and then, take it out. I was more afraid of inserting urinary catheters than that (in fact, I still am, because since leaving school, I work in a clinic).

You will have time to practice on dummies, and the clinical instructer will be with you when you do it for the first time. For now, consider getting an orange (the skin is close to how it may feel to do a human), and some needles and do a few just for decreasing your stress in that skill. You will be fine and you will make it.

I was not afraid of needles because I was a phlebotomist for over 12 years, but when I first took the class, I didn't think I could do it, either. You will learn as you go. It does take practice and getting over that fear, but you will do it. In fact, I think now that giving injections is the least of the things I worried about because basically, it is stick it in, pull back to see if there is blood in the needle and then, take it out. I was more afraid of inserting urinary catheters than that (in fact, I still am, because since leaving school, I work in a clinic).

You will have time to practice on dummies, and the clinical instructer will be with you when you do it for the first time. For now, consider getting an orange (the skin is close to how it may feel to do a human), and some needles and do a few just for decreasing your stress in that skill. You will be fine and you will make it.

The thought of catheters really makes me cringe!!!!

Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
The thought of catheters really makes me cringe!!!!

Yeah...me too. I did it once during my 6 week med-surg orientation, did a great job, but that was the only one I did before I was sent to work in my permanent assignment in the clinic. Now, I would like to get more practice at it because I do home care sometimes and may encounter it again. Not my favorite cup of tea, believe me.

Specializes in RN- Med/surg.

I was absolutely terrified to "poke" someone when I started nursing school. I had an instructor who said she had a high pain tollerance..and if I didn't want to inject my fellow clinical students...I could do her. She insisted it was fine...and after that first one I didn't have a problem. I actually like giving injections now. Ironically....there are so many difficult skills for nurses...but the patients remember the needles. If you're caring and capable with a needle they remember it. I love giving injections because I had such a fear of hurting people...yet most of the time they remark "that didn't hurt a bit" ...or better yet..." you already did it?"

Specializes in Home Health, PDN, LTC, subacute.

In LTC I often had to give upwards of 15 insulin shots a day, plus B-12's, Lovenox, Sandostatin and psych drugs. I still hate giving IM injections, especially on the elderly. The first few times are hard (it's hard to hurt someone) but you will "get it" and become better and better. It's great when a patient will tell you, "that didn't hurt at all!"

Good luck & don't worry

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