Be more confident they say

[SNgirl21, BSN]

I am currently in my 3rd semester of a 4 year BSN program. Although I am trying my very best and am currently passing all of my classes, my Pharmacology and Health Assessment labs terrify me. I have never been a very outgoing person, although I've gotten better than I used to be (I used to not even be able to hold eye contact or talk to people at the grocery store I work at). I am very studious and practice constantly for our CBEs (competency-based exams) on vitals, health assessments, med administration, etc., but every time I get to a CBE or even having my prof watch me, I get overwhelmed, nervous, second guess myself, and think like a million steps ahead of what I should currently be worrying about. During my CBE last week, I failed and now I'm even more stressed that if I don't get things together I'll fail the class (we can only get a U on 2 of 6 CBEs) and this makes 1 U with 2 more CBEs to go. 2 of my professors keep telling me I need to have more confidence in myself, but that is seeming easier said than done. How does one gain more confidence despite failure?

[SNgirl21, BSN]

I'm also super embarrassed because I cried in front of these 2 professors after I gave my manikin twice the appropriate dose of heparin. I was just freaking out, imagining how terrible it would be if I did that to a real patient.

[quarterlifemess, ADN, RN]

Practice makes you more confident. Lots of practice if you have such performance anxiety. Does your program offer open lab hours?

For my check offs I pretend that I'm on a cooking show or making a YouTube video. I don't really acknowledge the professor after we both agree on a start time. I sort of have a running monologue going explain what I am doing/thinking. If it is an assessment checkoff I talk to my patient (either a peer or the manikin).

[SNgirl21, BSN]

Thanks. We do have open lab hours, which are unfortunately pretty limited with my particular schedule. I can usually only attend open lab 1 hour a week, although I do practice assessments on my twin sister, which helps a little. Sometimes I also just verbally run through the whole situation, and last week I decided to start recording myself talking through the steps, then going back to see how I did.

[PudgeMC, ADN]

My checkoffs were the same way, and I'm sure your classmates feel the same way right now. It gets better. Confidence comes with doing in nursing school. Spend a little more time in the sim lab if you need to, but I think you'll be fine.

[Oldmahubbard]

I took medication for anxiety intermittently throughout my training and early career. I found it enormously helpful. I would not be here without that help.

[JBMmom, MSN, NP]

You're certainly not alone, and if you search here you may find many threads with tips on how people with anxiety were able to overcome it. For me, I'll sometimes turn something like an assessment into a list, then I can repeat the list out loud in front of anyone, or no one, just so it becomes fluid. Please know that I'm not in any way saying you should reconsider nursing, I don't know your intentions. But if you're concerned about making a mistake in front of an instructor, when you're practicing, the patient is the person that will be staring at you, and they are much more concerned about a mistake in their care. You'll need to overcome that anxiety to some extent in order to provide care. You are obviously very bright and have a desire to be successful, you can find a way to succeed! Good luck!!

[SNgirl21, BSN]

You're certainly not alone, and if you search here you may find many threads with tips on how people with anxiety were able to overcome it. For me, I'll sometimes turn something like an assessment into a list, then I can repeat the list out loud in front of anyone, or no one, just so it becomes fluid. Please know that I'm not in any way saying you should reconsider nursing, I don't know your intentions. But if you're concerned about making a mistake in front of an instructor, when you're practicing, the patient is the person that will be staring at you, and they are much more concerned about a mistake in their care. You'll need to overcome that anxiety to some extent in order to provide care. You are obviously very bright and have a desire to be successful, you can find a way to succeed! Good luck!!

Thanks! I do turn my assessments and injection procedures into lists. It is pretty helpful and it's good to hear someone else thinks it is a good idea as well. As for overcoming my anxiety, I've been working very hard on that. I knew going into nursing school, this would be a challenge, but I decided not to give up because of this one issue. As slow as my progress with this has been, I feel like over the past couple of years I've found ways to better manage my nervousness around others in "everyday life situations". I guess there's just something different about nursing. I know everything is a huge responsibility and I just get a bit paranoid I'll mess something up or say the wrong thing and cause a serious problem unintentionally. I know everything is on manikins right now, but I just keep freaking out about what could happen next semester, when clinicals begin.

[JBMmom, MSN, NP]

Thanks! I do turn my assessments and injection procedures into lists. It is pretty helpful and it's good to hear someone else thinks it is a good idea as well. As for overcoming my anxiety, I've been working very hard on that. I knew going into nursing school, this would be a challenge, but I decided not to give up because of this one issue. As slow as my progress with this has been, I feel like over the past couple of years I've found ways to better manage my nervousness around others in "everyday life situations". I guess there's just something different about nursing. I know everything is a huge responsibility and I just get a bit paranoid I'll mess something up or say the wrong thing and cause a serious problem unintentionally. I know everything is on manikins right now, but I just keep freaking out about what could happen next semester, when clinicals begin.

You know what? You're going to make a mistake. We all have, and we will again. Because we're human and things happen. The best we can do is hope that if we follow all of the safety measures in place, scanning patients, scanning medications, the mistakes we make will not be too serious. But if you spend all your time focused on the mistakes that might happen, you're going to seriously impair your ability to grow in your practice. You're learning how to practice safely, try to relax a little knowing that no one around you, not even your instructors, is perfect, either.

[SNgirl21, BSN]

You know what? You're going to make a mistake. We all have, and we will again. Because we're human and things happen. The best we can do is hope that if we follow all of the safety measures in place, scanning patients, scanning medications, the mistakes we make will not be too serious. But if you spend all your time focused on the mistakes that might happen, you're going to seriously impair your ability to grow in your practice. You're learning how to practice safely, try to relax a little knowing that no one around you, not even your instructors, is perfect, either.

Thank you so much for that! :) And I do definitely think I learned a lesson from giving my manikin the wrong dose of heparin. I will remember how terrible I felt and it wasn't even a real person. At least I learned my lesson with the manikin instead of a real patient. I'm thankful for that!