Help! I want to be a good nurse

Nurses Men

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Hi there I am new to this forum. I am in an accelerated RN program in order to go on to a Master (Nurse Practitioner), sort of like a Entry Level Master program.

I just finished my first semester; my grades are good, BUT I am not good when it comes to clinicals. In fact, I am beginning to get stressed out when my female classmates can multi-task so well and remembering a lot of the details into caring for patients. As for me, I am struggling. Maybe I am exaggerating, but I don't like this feeling of inadequacy I am getting. For example, I memorized my head-to-toe skills in my health assessment class, but I didn't even think about using my skills on real patients.

A little about myself: I am good at solving problems, but am weak at prioritizing and paying attention to details. When I make mistakes, I tend to enter armadillo's curl state and just start to blame myself internally.

I need a mentality readjustment. Is my pride getting in the way? Is my fear of losing my pride/be embarrassed in front of others barring me from improving and breaking through? Maybe a male mentor who has been there and is able to guide me through. Thanks bros.

NurseGuyBri

308 Posts

Specializes in LTC, Education, Management, QAPI.

You sound a lot like me and unfortunately, you will have to get over it. I got lucky with an EXCELLENT nurse clinical instructor who took me aside one day and (figuratively) slapped me to reality. You cannot nurse a book, you nurse a patient.

I have always maintained that I do *not* multi-task. I still don't. What i CAN do better than many is to focus, unwaveringly, on things that others miss. We all have our weak points, even you, Mr. Pride. Learn from it. You are already doing the right thing by visiting the idea and asking for help- that is a HUGE positive in nursing! Self reflection and growth is invaluable in the end. Take it a step back. Think of what you need to do before entering your patients room, and dont let your patient or fellow students intimidate you. If you have any specific concerns or questions feel free to ask- I went from Social Science degree to CNA to LPN to RN and am currently a Director of Nursing Service in sub-acute and skilled nursing/ rehab. Feel free - [email protected] or here on allnurses. goodluck!

nurse2033, MSN, RN

3 Articles; 2,133 Posts

Specializes in ER, ICU.

You may not have the natural ability that some in your program do, but this is not rocket science. You just have to keep working to improve every day, learn from your mistakes, and develop strategies to succeed. Perhaps create a cheat sheet of things you tend to forget and refer to it often. You will get it, just keep going.

NurseGuyBri

308 Posts

Specializes in LTC, Education, Management, QAPI.

Yes, cheat sheet all the way! I guarantee that if you attempt to fix/ compensate for what you are not good at, not only will you improve, but your management staff should notice. It's how I started moving up the chain... Good luck!

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