Clumsy and nervous!

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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So I've wanted to be a nurse almost my whole life. I love caring for people and helping people. I've already been accepted into the nursing program (BSN) at my school, but I don't start til next fall.

I'm a really tall, clumsy person generally, and I'm pretty bad at most sports... I drop stuff a lot and run into things occasionally (haha). I also get nervous when people watch me, which is why I think clinicals will be hard. I think I'm smart enough and can learn the book stuff, but the skills are what worries me. I'm kind of slow at learning skills sometimes, like for my CNA certification I had to practice a ton. Basically I'm just wondering if there are others like me who have conquered nursing school or have some advice?? :) thanks!

Congrats on your BSN acceptance! That is the first hurdle that you got through :)

im just about going to apply to programs at the moment.

Even if you say you're 'clumsy' you shouldn't let it define you though. Everyone started from somewhere. If you do something wrong or made a mistake , dust yourself off and try again. with more practice and feeling comfortable doing things I'm sure you'll get the hang of it and be less shaky. Practice makes you better at it. You can do this :cat:

Don't let this stress you out. Nursing school, alone, is enough to be stressed out over! Practice also makes perfect. Good job on making it to a nursing program, by the way. I should also be attending a nursing school by that time should everything work out.

For now, work on improving your coordination. A clumsy individual is pretty adorable, but when that clumsy individual becomes a nurse; it can be a scary situation. Research activities that you could do during this waiting period that could help improve your coordination, and I'm sure you'll do just fine.

As for being nervous when people watch you, do you have an idea as of why? From what I've read, it seems like a lack of self-confidence to some degree. Don't beat yourself up so much about mastering the skills; those clinical runs are there to help you improve. With that CNA certification, you should of already had some great exposure into the medical field. Just remember to engage in the classroom, during clinical runs, and practice a whole ton. If you have to, read up on the syllabus and review some of the material before hand; watch some videos on certain procedures and techniques.

You have roughly a year, don't let yourself stress out so early. You snagged a spot into a nursing program; that alone should be enough to celebrate. We aren't born with a mastery of the skills that it takes to become a nurse; we go to a nursing school to learn and master those skills with the guidance of an instructor.

Good luck to you! Catch up on as much sleep as you can, you'll need it!

Edit: Yes, I've also felt very nervous when other people oversaw my performance. To be honest, most of it was just mental; I would be afraid of thinking that I was going to do something incorrectly while, in actuality, I was doing just fine. I also found that meditation came in handy for a good relaxation technique. I still get a little nervous if I'm doing a lab in class and my professor watches over me (he's pretty strict about aseptic techniques), but I manage to keep my cool and focus on the goal of whatever procedure I'm performing.

Specializes in L&D, infusion, urology.

I think most of us fumble a bit when we're being watched. I know that when my clinical instructor was RIGHTTHERE while I started an IV on a paramedic patient of mine (the patient is a paramedic), I was a bit more shaky with sweaty palms and such, and definitely more clumsy, and I've been starting IVs for YEARS (former Navy corpsman). Thankfully I got it. It happens to the best of us. Practice makes progress, so keep at it. Put yourself in uncomfortable situations because overcoming those hurdles are what make you grow and learn.

I used to be someone who bumped into everything and tripped over my own feet. I always had bruises everywhere. The one thing that actually really helped me was trail running. You're constantly having to adjust your footing and catch your balance, and it's made a really big difference in this area of my life (in addition to others).

When you feel yourself getting nervous, slow down or stop, take a deep breath, and calm yourself for just a minute. Think through what you need to do, and go slow. Slow and safe is better than fast and dangerous in nursing. No one expects you to be fast as a student, or even once you're a new nurse.

If you can, practice doing your skills with your classmates all watching, and take turns doing this. Plus, you can learn from each other some good tips for what to do and what not to do. You can get constructive criticism without the watchful eye of an instructor.

Congratulations on your acceptance, and good luck with your program!

Thanks for all the help guys! I feel a little less nervous now :) I will definitely try to find ways to improve my coordination. I also think for me just focusing on the task at hand helps too. I realize now that a lot of nursing school is practice and a lot of it is mental, which is why relaxation techniques are a good idea.

Specializes in L&D, infusion, urology.
Thanks for all the help guys! I feel a little less nervous now :) I will definitely try to find ways to improve my coordination. I also think for me just focusing on the task at hand helps too. I realize now that a lot of nursing school is practice and a lot of it is mental, which is why relaxation techniques are a good idea.

Absolutely! Finding ways to relax and manage your stress will help you SOOO much through nursing school.

Another thing to remember is that tasks you can learn on the job, but the material is the most important part, along with thinking as a nurse. Anyone can be taught to insert a Foley. It's the "thinking as a nurse" part that takes more brainpower, and is truly a learned skill.

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