does anyone else dread the clinicals?

[sweetiepie92]

I am almost close to the end of my first semester at nursing school. I am in the five-semester program. Originally, i was in four-semester but i dropped my clinical course because i want to retake it next semester. I am not very bad at theory classes but Clinicals are something i dread the most! Idk i always feel like i am super dumb at the clinical as well as while performing the skills in lab (such as sterile technique, wound care etc..). I made a lot of mistakes at clinical as well as in lab; so my instructor suggested me to retake this course next semester. It's really negatively affecting my self esteem and makes me feel like i am not going to be a good nurse! I want to know if anyone else is in the same boat as I ?? and how do i relieve my anxiety in practical courses and be able to perform well? I want to be fully prepared for the next semester so that i don't repeat the same mistakes again.

[loveSBK]

Hi!!! I used to hate clinicals because my first experience was not good at all (I had a horrible clinical instructor). Now, i have the best instructor ever and I have learned so much from her. If you are not good at some skills, then you need to practice them!!!! Do not wait to go into clinical to realize that you are not good at these skills. Also, prepare by reading. What the books says is not always what happens but it can help you relate the information and apply it to your patients.

You're taking the course again, therefore you should feel a little more comfortable. Know that you are there to learn, and a lot of times you will make mistakes, look dumb, and forget things, is part of learning, do not be so hard on yourself.

Once you feel comfortable with the material you wont feel as anxious/nervous, so PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!!!!

Good luck!!!

[Stephalump]

I don't like clinicals. I don't like feeling anxious/uncomfortable, and clinical days are all of those things for me. I never know what kind of nurse I'll be paired with, what the attitude toward students will be, or what skills I'll be performing for the first time in front of an audience. I work in a hospital and I enjoy it, but there's something about the role of an outsider at clinicals that doesn't sit well with me. That and I have to be there at 6am (if I don't want to pre-pick a pt) vs 6:45/7 and I'm not a morning person.

All that is speaking in general terms, though. I've had some GREAT days, along with awful

One more semester!!!!

[betty boop23]

I want to start off by say "aww, hunny, its going to be ok"!!! Youor stupid, in clinicals you are nothing more than UNFAMILIAR!! Its as simple as that! It is also ok to feel like that, i have been there myself and I will give you a few tips that I did. 1) Look as r , there a couple occations i had to remind my you can, the reason for this is it will make you feel more confident when you are there. 2) Whenyou are going to clinicals, treat it as if you are going to work, if you think about how much you dread clinicals, chances are, you are not going to perform to the best of your ability when at clinicals, try to view them in a different light! 3) You can view just about anything on youtube, for different speciality areas and different types of facilities there are different routine protocols to get familiar with, for example, if you are doing clinicals in LTC you would def want to get familiar with bp meds, different types of insulin, heart meds, and wound care, once again you could look ANYTHING on you tube. 4) when you are asking your instructor a question make sure you are not being timid and shy, ask with confidence and be assertive

[betty boop23]

My last post got kind of destorted.trying to send it from my ohone, ill fix and finish it later at my computer

[krisiepoo]

you're supposed to be "dumb" and by dumb I mean inexperienced. If you knew how to do everything and knew all the answers you wouldn't be in school, getting experience by going into a situation where you're supported and free to learn.

As far as skills, oru lab was open to us to practice outside of lab time, I'd highly recommend practicing if you can

I go into each clinical wanting to do/see/experience/smell anything and everything. I go in knowing I know nothing and am there to be a sponge. I've had awesome experiences and look forward to clinicals now

You can do it, I think that clinicals are the bread and butter to being a nurse, you'll get there

[leonard_huh, BSN, MSN, RN, APN]

Yes I dreaded clinicals also I don't know why was never excited or nervous as other students were. I just felt prepared maybe that's why and was ready to learn anything new I haven't seen or heard about. Just prepare yourself in labs and reading and your prelabs. Your not supposed to know everything when you get there and the nurses you get paired up with are a hit or miss. if they are good you do feel dumb because of how much information they know but just remember they had a lot of experience and if you get paired up with a bad nurse hey don't just sit there take charge. look at the patients charge see whats next to be ordered do your assessments and chart them and let your nurse know make them feel dumb or show them you don't need there help. like others said practice and have the self confidence in your self and if you don't know just ask and learn, that's why we go to these clinicals even though they are long and tiring. have fun

[NICUmiiki, DNP, NP]

I also dreaded clinical days, but it was mostly because of all of the clinical paper work involved. I liked the clinical itself just fine especially as I got more familiar with our unit.

[NuGuyNurse2b]

I like clinicals, but the unfortunate thing was, from my limited experience so far (1st semester ADN student here), the nurse on the floor don't really care for us. They give report by throwing things at us a mile a minute, we barely can keep up and if you ask them to repeat something, they get all cranky. But once I got out of the nurse's way, and started to learn on my own and observe how things are done, I understood why we needed to be there. Clinical is what you make of it. You just make sure you come on time, dress appropriately and do your best. The instructor knows you are not well trained in this area, you will be lost, you will make mistakes that they will catch, and you will learn from it. So I think it isn't something to be dreaded. Right now, I'm suffering in the theoretical part of my program. The clinical and skills part I am comfortable in. The exams are giving me terrible stress, they're very tricky and they are quite harder than the ATI NCLEX practice questions we have to also do.

[vintagemother, BSN, CNA, LVN, RN]

I didn't dread clinicals. They were fun. The reasons they were fun are: I loved being in a medical setting, there was so much to observe. Also, I had great clinical friends and we (mostly all) helped each other. I was not as good at clinicals as I was at lecture but when I felt nervous, I leaned heavily on my instructors and classmates. *Before* doing a procedure, id look it up in my book and ask friends or the instructor to walk me through it. I wasn't embarrassed to tell them I was nervous and wanted to do it "right". I don't know if this will be helpful to you, but it worked for me. I also did a lot of positive self talk, "you're smart, you can do it" etc. i tried to foster a cheerleading support group smoking my clinical buddies. Good luck!

[pookyp, LPN]

I also dreaded clinical days but it was mostly because of all of the clinical paper work involved. I liked the clinical itself just fine especially as I got more familiar with our unit.[/quote']

Yep. Hated the paperwork. We focused more on that than skills IMO.

[Everline]

I have mixed feelings about clinicals, but dread is a common one. I think what bothers me most is the possibility that I will be paired with a nurse who hates students. That makes for a really horrible day. Most of my clinical experiences have been good ones, though. I am ending my second semester and I dread them less as time goes on.