Anyone having second thoughts about nursing based on their clinicals?

I have not gotten into clinicals yet, but I am a CNA and the only time that I have second guessed my choice for nursing when I realized that I can't deal with vomit, however, I realized that while it is difficult for me to deal with it, I am planning on being a mother at one point and will need to deal with it. So why not learn how to now.

I guess it depends on what clinicals you are in. If you're in your first semester, you are getting a very basic idea of what it is like to take care of a patient, and most of the work you are doing is more like CNA or PCA work (don't flame me, I know we will still be giving baths and toileting and whatnot as RN's, but it won't be the main focus of our work).

On the other hand, if you've been in clinicals for a few semesters, and still feel out of place, and aren't starting to "put the pieces together" then maybe it's not for you. But if you've come this far, there's no reason to not stick it out and try to graduate. With an RN degree and some hospital experience, you could get some sort of non-bedside job that may agree with you more.

Example: I know a woman who graduated with her ADN, worked a year on a med-surg floor, and realized bedside nursing wasn't ever going to be her thing. She got an RN job with a local health insurance company and has been there for years. She's still nurse, but she hasn't worked at the bedside, ever, except for that first year!

Your gonna see far worse then vomit :chuckle

Good luck :)

No, not second thoughts. I know exactly where I want to work after I graduate, but don't think I will get any clinical experience in the specialty during school. For now, I'm just getting through the clincals, even though I don't have any interest in most of these areas.

I guess it depends on what clinicals you are in. If you're in your first semester, you are getting a very basic idea of what it is like to take care of a patient, and most of the work you are doing is more like CNA or PCA work (don't flame me, I know we will still be giving baths and toileting and whatnot as RN's, but it won't be the main focus of our work).

On the other hand, if you've been in clinicals for a few semesters, and still feel out of place, and aren't starting to "put the pieces together" then maybe it's not for you. But if you've come this far, there's no reason to not stick it out and try to graduate. With an RN degree and some hospital experience, you could get some sort of non-bedside job that may agree with you more.

Example: I know a woman who graduated with her ADN, worked a year on a med-surg floor, and realized bedside nursing wasn't ever going to be her thing. She got an RN job with a local health insurance company and has been there for years. She's still nurse, but she hasn't worked at the bedside, ever, except for that first year!

Thanks. I've been through three semesters of clinicals, and am now starting my last semester. The 13-hour rotations I find a bit daunting, esp in the med-surg setting. My last rotation was in an ICU, and the patients were so sick they could hardly move, with lines coming off of them everywhere. I know I need much, much more clinical experience, and will be getting much more clinical experience this semester, in the med-surg setting; but I think I should have shadowed nurses or done CNA work before nursing school. The psych, clinic, and OB rotations were OK - it's those med-surg rotations where reality really hits hard.

Do you get graded on clinicals?

Clinicals has taught me where I do not want to work (OB!). Other than that, I don't feel like I've learned much at clinicals. My patient assignments haven't provided me with many opportunities for procedures and we don't do procedures on patients we aren't familiar with.

I don't think that my clinical experiences have prepared me for life after graduation.

Do you get graded on clinicals?

We just get a pass/fail, with each day graded as satisfactory or unsatisfactory, and a certain number of unsatisfactory grades adding up to a fail.

My clinicals start on March 5th and we are on a med-surg unit. Our rotation for thesummer will also be med-surg. At first I was really apprehensive about it, but I figured its best to start here and really get a hard dose of nursing right off the bat...and the rest should come a bit easier. At least thats what I keep telling myself.

I know it wont be easy, but I know that what I learn will be invaluable.

Yes we are graded on clinicals. One of our final assignments for the semester is a full patient care plan. And we have to keep a weekly journal and write about our experiences.

I know it wont be easy, but I know that what I learn will be invaluable.

Yes - I've still learned quite a bit during clinical. It's where what you learn in books really sticks, after you've experienced its real-life context. You also learn about the rigorous aspects of being a nurse. So, the learning is two-fold. I've come to appreciate nursing as a profession all the more. I'm just not sure nursing is for me, considering my experiences. Perhaps it's lack of confidence from not really having done much, really.