Clinicals make me feel so dumb...

[missSB]

Hello everyone. I need some advice.

I have one year left of nursing school and I dread clinicals every day. I've gotten all As in labs and classes but when it comes to clinicals I feel so stupid.

Im a very introverted person and small talk has never been my strong suit. I'm pretty good about doing my clinicals with my nurses, but as soon as my clinical instructor comes and watches me, I freeze. I start to stutter and fidget, I forget little things, etc.

My clinical instructor told me that my nervousness is making my patients nervous, and that made me more nervous! I want to make my patients comfortable and help them get through hard times, but I can't be myself...

Please help... I'm starting to think nursing isn't right for me and maybe I should go into a more introverted friendly healthcare profession like radiology or something... ������

[Purple_roses]

How nervous were you when you first started driving as a teenager? If you were like me, you were super nervous, had to actually remind yourself to check/adjust your mirrors, and were terrified of going over 40 mph. Is that still happening? No (I'm assuming). You're going to go through a phase of being terrified at clinicals and that's just the way it's gonna be. You're going to have anxiety, because anxiety isn't something that you can just shrug off. But just remember that things will not always feel new. You won't always have to have someone remind you to do things--they'll eventually be second nature.

For what it's worth, one of the BEST nursing students in my class is very introverted. She takes phenomenal care of her patients and creates bonds with them that allow her to be an excellent patient educator and advocate. Being introverted can be an asset if you allow it to be.