Clinical Anxiety - when does it pass?

[AragornSkywalker]

I get anxious over clinic. Part of it has to do with the day-long care planning the day before, part of it has to do with the clinical itself. Being a first semester student, every time I see something new and it sucks not knowing how to respond. Learning as you go can be enriching but its also pretty stressful considering the seriousness of it.

Im just wondering, when do you get to the point where you are confident enough in your skills that you dont get anxiety when Clinicals roll around.

Actually scratch that, alot of it has to do with the pre-planning. Getting to the hospital really early so you get a patient, then getting 2 care plans done by midnight so you get some sleep.

[Snwbdr]

it gets easier.....my first semester was a wreck, but they started us out slow....now two patients seems kinda boring....

[AragornSkywalker]

I keep reading about other people's programs giving them an entire CNA prep and even buddying up for patients. Our program had a brief 5 week crash course in vitals, injections, PE, bathing before throwing us into patients. Our first week was 1 patient but its been 2 ever since.

For some stuff like bathing and bed changes, we are doing it for the first time on the floors. The only thing I would say they prepared us thoroughly for prior is vitals, which are ironically all done by machines in clinical. Physical exams were difficult the first few times (and still kind of is) because of all the stuff you need to add to not miss anything. We saw a video of "putting it together", but Im spending alot of time watching youtube instructionals the morning of, such as right now.

I cant tell if my program is throwing us into the fray as more of a psychological thing or what they really expect from us.

[Snwbdr]

I find it funny that the physical assessments we are taught TAKE FOREVER but in the real world, I've never seen any of the RN's I'm buddied up with take longer than 10 minutes.....u can do a quick overall assessment and then a focused one depending on what the problem is.....have u ever seen a tuning fork on the floor? I haven't....the trick is to figure out what's important and what isn't....

[elkpark]

Some anxiety is a good thing -- keeps you alert and focused. You don't ever want to get blasé or lackadaisical about clinical ... :) I don't think I ever started feeling completely relaxed in clinical -- there's always something else to be learning or observing and responding to.

[RNsharkinaj]

I hated clinicals, and would never want to relive those days, but I think especially for men, starting out in nursing it is a very nervous time. It is very common I think about you having anxiety, and believe me it gets way better, and the women you will work with will be awesome to have as coworkers.